Members

Morgan Abraham

President & CEOThe Abraham Avdee Group

Morgan is the CEO and owner of The Abraham & Avdee Group, a real estate and investment company that specializes in student housing at the University of Arizona. A near native of Arizona, Morgan graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Engineering Management. While studying at the University of Arizona, Morgan was elected student body president representing the 40,000+ students on political and academic issues. Morgan has also served on various statewide boards including the Arizona Student Association and the Community Advisory Board of Arizona Public Media.

EDUCATION: Bachelors of Science from The University of Arizona, Engineering Management 2014

Ken Abrahams

General PartnerCadre Partners

Ken Abrahams has been an owner, principal investor and founder of multiple business enterprises over the past 35 years. By nature, Mr. Abrahams is a “builder” who recognizes the importance of strategic thinking tempered by practical realities, forging market based solutions that can adapt to changing conditions. He is a strong leader skilled in the assembly and management of highly qualified professionals capable of effectively implementing plans and achieving established goals on a timely basis.

As a real estate professional Mr. Abrahams is a founding partner of Diamond Ventures, a Tucson based diversified real estate investment and development firm. Over a twenty year period Mr. Abrahams directed real estate portfolio activities for the firm including land acquisition, planning, entitlement and development of a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial real estate assets in diverse market geographies. Through the practical integration of team building and keen implementation skills he has consistently and successfully executed on the project vision, delivering strong financial results.

Mr. Abrahams is Co- General Partner in Cadre Partners, an Arizona based a private equity firms that invests in and partners with growth stage operating businesses in Arizona and around the southwest region of the United States.

Mr. Abrahams is the Chairman and CEO of NexMetro Communities a Phoenix based firm that develops rental home neighborhoods in numerous western Sunbelt markets.

An Arizona native, Mr. Abrahams received a B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Science of Landscape Architecture and Renewable Natural Resources Planning from the University of Arizona.

Current Affiliations are: University of Arizona College of Landscape Architecture—Advisory Board; Urban Land Institute—Southern Arizona Committee Past Chairman and Member of the Community Development Council; Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan—Steering Committee; Southern Arizona Leadership Council—Board Member, former Executive Committee member, Chair of the Water Focus Area, Strategic Initiatives Committee; TREO Mobilization Council.

Gary Abrams

PresidentAbrams Airborne Manufacturing, Inc.

Gary L. Abrams was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He began his career as a second generation leader of Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, Inc., a precision sheetmetal manufacturing company that was founded by his father in 1965. Gary currently serves as the President of Abrams Airborne. Gary is also the President of Vltor Weapons Systems, a weapons manufacturing company that supplies weapon accessories to the US Military and many law enforcement agencies. He is an owner and the President of Milkor USA, Inc., a manufacturer of the M32A1 multi-shot grenade launcher.

As a lifelong pilot, Gary’s passion of flying and his drive for business enabled him to establish two companies in the field of aviation. Gary is the President of Pima Aviation, which acts as the long term lease holder of the Marana Regional Airport, as well as the President of a FBO at Marana Regional Airport, titled Tucson Aeroservice Center. Gary has been an active member of the Pima Air and Space Museum for many years serving as a past President, and currently serving his third term as the Trustee on the Board of Supervisors.

Gary continues to be an active member in the aviation industry, military and community through the various businesses. He has inspired youth through flight programs at Tucson Aeroservice Center and Pima Aviation. Milkor USA and Vltor Weapon Systems serve as a voice for Gary’s immense support for the Nation’s armed forces. Finally, through Abrams Airborne, Gary continues to improve and give back to the very community in which he grew up.

Stan Abrams

PresidentSPA 550 LLC

Mr. Abrams is President of SPA 550 LLC, an Arizona based corporation founded in 1980, that specializes in land and business development and investment real estate. In this capacity, he manages his real estate investment partnerships and provides real estate expertise and business consulting services to other organizations, business entities and individuals.

A longtime real estate broker in the State of Arizona, Mr. Abrams has 30 years of experience in construction, land and business primarily in the western United States. Mr. Abrams combines his long-term business with involvement in government service. He is a frequent speaker on issues that face our community and is committed to many philanthropic causes.

Larry Aldrich

Chairman & Executive DirectorArizona Business Coalition on Health

Larry has had a 30 year career as a leader of for-profit and non-profit organizations. Most
recently he was the Founder, Chairman and Executive Director of the Arizona Business
Coalition on Health, a non-profit membership coalition that addresses health and health
care system issues. In this role Larry drew on his previous experience as President and CEO
of University Physicians Healthcare, the $600 million parent company for a 420-member
physician group (affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine) providing
healthcare services in Southern Arizona. Previous to that he was COO of The Critical Path
Institute, a non-profit partnership of The University of Arizona, SRI International and the
FDA to implement innovation in medical therapies. He also has substantial experience in
the media industry, as long-time President and CEO of the two daily newspapers in Tucson.
Larry is a lawyer and former Federal prosecutor and has had his own venture capital firm,
Tucson Ventures, which he later merged into Valley Ventures in Phoenix.

David Allen

Vice PresidentUA Tech Launch Arizona

David N. Allen, Ph.D. began his leadership of Tech Launch Arizona in September 2012. He has over 30 years of experience in technology commercialization related research, instruction and practice. Before coming to the UA, Dr. Allen was the University of Colorado Associate Vice President (AVP) for Technology Transfer from February 2002 August 2012. During that time he led a successful effort to transform an underperforming technology transfer operation into a nationally prominent program.

Dr. Allen has served in positions at a number of other universities, including: AVP for Technology Partnerships at Ohio State University; AVP for Technology and Economic Development, and Director of the Edison Biotechnology Institute at Ohio University in Athens; and professor at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, teaching management and entrepreneurship classes and conducted research in business incubators and university research commercialization. He was also a consultant to a regional seed venture capital firm and principal in a technology enterprise consulting firm.

He earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington in Political Science, with a specialization in Political Economy, in 1980. His Ph.D. chairperson, the late Elinor Ostrom, was a co-recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Economics.

Bonnie Allin

President & CEOTucson Airport Authority

Bonnie A. Allin became President & CEO of the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) on April 1, 2002. She began her career in aviation in 1976 with the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA), then moved to Texas where she worked for the Corpus Christi International Airport, ending her tenure as Director of Aviation. Bonnie has a B.B.A. in Finance. She holds the designation of Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.), and is Chairman of the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE). She is Chair of the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) Government Affairs Steering Committee, and currently serves on the Policy Review Committee of AAAE, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council Board, TREO Board, and Congressman Ron Barber’s Women’s Leadership Council.

Hank Amos

President & CEOTucson Realty & Trust Co.

George H. Amos, III, known by his friends as “Hank,” is a fourth generation Tucsonan. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1981 (with a double major in Finance and Real Estate) and is Chairman of the Board and CEO of Tucson Realty & Trust Co. Incorporated in 1911, over 100 years ago, Tucson Realty & Trust Co. is Arizona’s oldest real estate company specializing in commercial brokerage and property management. He has been awarded “Graduate” of the Realtors Institute.

Honors include: Man of the Year” – City of Hope – 1995; “Big Brother of the Year” – 1989; “Honor Roll” – Tucson Unified School District; University of Arizona Alumni Association – Centennial Achievement Award; “Who’s Who Among U.S. Executives”; “Who’s Who in the West”; “Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate”; “Who’s Who in America.”

Mara Aspinall

President & CEOHealth Catalysts

Mara Aspinall is a healthcare industry leader who successfully engineers bold moves that strengthen businesses and advance the life sciences community. Aspinall is the former President and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems. Ventana, a member of the Roche Group, is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of tissue-based cancer diagnostic products that enable the delivery of personalized healthcare to patients. During her tenure, Ventana substantially grew revenue, profit and market share while establishing Ventana as the world’s leading oncology companion diagnostics developer and manufacturer.

Previously, Aspinall spent 12 years with Genzyme Corporation where she held leadership roles including President of Genzyme Genetics and President of Genzyme Pharmaceuticals. Aspinall was also the Founder, CEO and Director of On-Q-ity, a research based company focused on transforming cancer patient management through the capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a patient’s blood.

A dynamic participant in the life sciences community, Aspinall has spearheaded many initiatives to educate policymakers about diagnostics, genomics, and personalized medicine. Most recently, she has founded the International School of Biomedical Diagnostics at Arizona State University and Dublin City University, the first school dedicated entirely to Diagnostics as an independent discipline. In addition, she founded DxInsights, an institute committed to expanding knowledge on the importance of diagnostics in improving patient care. She is also a founder of the European Personalized Medicine Association (EPEMED) and a former Director of the US Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC).

Aspinall is a Director of Safeguard Scientific (NYSE:SFE) a creative public company providing growth capital for entrepreneurial and innovative healthcare and technology companies. She spent 15 years on the Board of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, chairing the Science Committee and three years as Board member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts. She was an active member of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Council on Genetics in the Obama and Bush Administrations.

Aspinall chairs the Arizona Biosciences Board, a group led by CEOs in multiple industries dedicated to improving the state’s atmosphere for technology companies. Aspinall is also a Board member of Science Foundation Arizona, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities organization.

Aspinall has written several articles, case studies and editorials on healthcare topics. In 2010 she was named one of the “100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences” by PharmaVOICE magazine.

Aspinall started her business career at Bain & Company, an international strategic consulting firm. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Centurion/Carondelet Past President & Board Member; University of Arizona School of Health Related Professions Advisory Board; YMCA Metro Board/Lighthouse Board; State of Arizona Commerce Department Rural Advisory Board; University of Arizona College of Engineering Advisory Board

ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
America Society of Metals; American Welding Society; Arizona Mines Get Our Support; Mining Club of the Southwest Tucson Chamber of Commerce; University of Arizona Presidents Club; University of Arizona Wildcat Club
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Born in Monroe, Michigan; married to Molly Assenmacher; two children, Richard & Meghan

Paul August

US Head Early to Candidate UnitSanofi

Dr. Paul August has more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical discovery and the management of global, collaborative research projects. He leads the discovery Biology team at the Sanofi Tucson Innovation Center in Oro Valley, Arizona. He is focused advancing global research projects to generate small molecule therapeutics and dedicated to the identification of both local and national external partnering opportunities for Sanofi.

Before starting his scientific career, Paul was intimately involved in New Hampshire state government. While pursuing his Bachelors of Science degree in biology at St. Anselm College in Manchester New Hampshire, Paul was elected as the youngest member of the New Hampshire General Court, representing the town of Goffstown in the NH state House of Representatives and a member of the Hillsborough County legislative delegation. Paul served for two years on the executive departments and administration committee in the NH House of Representatives.

Paul received a Masters of Science Degree from the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. He followed up his interest in pharmaceuticals with a Post-Doctoral position at the University of Washington Seattle in the Department of Organic chemistry. Subsequently, he accepted a position in the Genetic Engineering department of MDS Pharma (Panlabs) in Bothell Washington. Paul was recruited to Ariad Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge Massachusetts as part of the joint venture with the pharmaceutical giant Hoechst Marion Roussel (HMR) which was eventually acquired by HMR. After many years and several large mergers later, the company ultimately took the shape of the Sanofi group today.

Paul is married and the proud father of three Children. His daughter attends American University in Washington DC and his sons attend Basis in Oro Valley.

Bruce Beach

PresidentBeachFleischman PC

Bruce Beach is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BeachFleischman PC, the largest accounting and business advisory services firm in Southern Arizona.

Mr. Beach is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. He has 40 years of experience in public accounting.

Mr. Beach is a Director of Western Alliance Bank (d/b/a Alliance Bank of Arizona). He is also the Lead Director on the Board of Directors of Western Alliance Bancorporation, a publicly held bank holding company traded on the New York Stock Exchange with operations in California, Nevada and Arizona, and serves as Chairman of its Audit Committee.

Mr. Beach is an active member of the Tucson community, currently serving in the following capacities:

Jim Beckmann

President & CEOCarondelet Health Network

Jim Beckmann joined Carondelet Health Network as President and CEO in October 2011. Prior to coming to Tucson, he was serving as Senior Vice President for System Support Services at Carondelet’s parent ministry, Ascension Health, based in St. Louis, Missouri. Ascension Health is the nation’s largest Catholic, not-for-profit healthcare system, providing care in more than 1400 locations across 21 states.

In his Ascension role, Jim had executive management responsibility for Ascension Health’s supply chain, risk management, corporate responsibility, operational resources and Facility Resources Group. Prior to joining Ascension Health in 2003, Beckmann had an extensive career in the insurance industry.

Beckmann was born in Columbus, Georgia, but grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Applied Mathematics from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and an MBA from the University of Tampa in Florida. Beckmann enjoys running, golf and is passionate fan of horse racing.

Beckmann and his wife, Betsey, have three children: Maddy, Caroline and John Henry. Jim’s family founded Coat-A-Kid, Inc., a charitable organization in St. Louis that provides winter coats to school children. Betsey Beckmann serves as President of the all-volunteer organization that started when daughter, Maddy, was in third grade and discovered a classmate couldn’t play outside because she didn’t have a winter coat. Coat-A-Kid provides more than 3,000 coats to St. Louis area children each year.

Carmen Bermudez

Chairman & CEOMission Management & Trust Co.

Carmen Bermudez is the founder, Chair and CEO of Mission Management & Trust Co., the nation’s first and only minority-woman owned independent trust company. Founded in 1994, Mission has, under her guidance, been recognized with several awards including being named the inaugural recipient of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Award in 1995 and being honored by the YWCA of Tucson with its 1996 Women on the Move Corporate Award. Mission was the recipient of the 1998 Western Regional Supplier of the Year Award from the National Minority Supplier Development council. In 1999, Working Woman magazine named Mission a regional award winner as Most Socially Responsible Company.

In 2012 as part of the state’s centennial celebration, the Arizona Historical Society published a book presenting Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women and Carmen was selected to be among those honored. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce selected Carmen as its 2005 Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year. In August 2004, Hispanic Magazine presented Carmen with the US-Latin American Friendship Award. In June, 2002, Carmen was included in the Contemporary Hispanic Biography book that profiles the International Hispanic Community. Also in 2002, Carmen was named by Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco to be Honorary Costa Rican Consul to the United States. A naturalized American citizen, Carmen was extremely proud to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. In 2000, Avon Products, Inc. chose Carmen as one of four Women of Enterprise, and the Star Group recognized her as one of The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World. Also, Carmen was named Mujer 2000 Woman of Today. She also received the YWCA of Tucson Women on the Move Award (1994) and the YMCA of La Jolla (CA) Service Award (1993). In the April 1999 issue of Fortune, Carmen was featured in the Minority Business Enterprises Special Industry Report. In 1999, she was featured in Tucson Lifestyle among “Hispanics Making a Difference.” Latina magazine named Carmen its 1999 Entrepreneur of the Year. Hispanic magazine recognized her as one of the 100 Top Latinas.

While running her own company, Carmen remains actively involved in numerous national, regional and local projects. She was on the Advisory Board for the Department of Management and Policy—Eller College of Management of the University of Arizona, also was a former director of UA Research Park Development Corp. She was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Health, Physical Fitness and Sports. She was a member of the RNC Hispanic Advisory Board. She formerly served on the boards of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She has also participated in the University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni Mentoring Project and served on the 1997 Southern Arizona Women’s Fund Grants Committee. Carmen supports the Tucson community as an active member of the Tucson Rotary Club and the United Way Tocqueville Society.

Fred Boice

PresidentBoice Financial Company

Fred grew up in the cow-calf ranching business until selling their last ranch in 1978. Since that time he has started and bought and sold small low tech companies, and worked as a bankruptcy trustee and an investor and investment advisor for a number of clients.

In the civic arena Fred has been president or chairman of Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona State Parks Board, Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, Tucson Medical Center, Tucson Airport Authority, Junior Achievement and The University of Arizona Foundation. He received an honorary doctorate from The University of Arizona in 2010.

Fred currently serves on the boards of Science Foundation Arizona, Campus Research Corporation and Friends for Arizona’s Future together with membership on the Advisory Board for the College of Science (UA).

Kathy Bollinger

President, Arizona West RegionBanner Health

Kathy Bollinger was named Vice President of Academic Delivery at Banner Health in 2015. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight of Banner, University Medical Center Phoenix, Banner—University Medical Center South, and Banner—University Medical Center Tucson in additional to Banner—University Medical Group. Kathy holds a bachelor’s in speech pathology and audiology and a masters in communications disorders from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL.

Paul Bonavia

Tucson Electric Power (ret.)

Paul J. Bonavia has retired as Executive Chairman of UNS Energy and its principal subsidiaries, Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services.

Mr. Bonavia assumed the role of Chairman & CEO on Jan. 1, 2009, after his appointment by UNS Energy’s Board of Directors. Since then, he has worked to expand the company’s leadership role in renewable energy and energy efficiency while maintaining safe, affordable, and reliable service to nearly 640,000 utility customers across Arizona.

Mr. Bonavia was named by Governor Jan Brewer to the Board of Directors of the Arizona Commerce Authority and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Board member on the Southern Arizona Leadership Council; Board Chair for United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona; Board of Trustees, The University of Arizona Foundation; and as an Advisory Board member of the Tucson Airport Authority. He is a Director of the Edison Electric Institute, a member of the Management Committee of the Institute for Energy Efficiency; and is a former Director of the American Wind Energy Association.

Before joining UNS Energy, Mr. Bonavia was President of the Utilities Group of Xcel Energy. He earned degrees from Drake University and the University of Miami School of Law and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Kevin Bonine

Don Bourn

President and CEOBourn Companies, LLC

Mr. Bourn is the President of Bourn Companies, LLC. Bourn Companies is a commercial real estate investment, development and services company based in Tucson, Arizona. Since its origination in 1990, Bourn Companies and its predecessors have completed over 4,000,000 square feet of acquisitions and developments, specializing in corporate office buildings, retail shopping centers and unique multi-family residential and hospitality properties.

Mr. Bourn is a member of the Board of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC), and is also a member of International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO), and The University of Arizona Cancer Center.

Mr. Bourn holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska.

Garry Brav

PresidentBFL Ventures

Garry established Brav & Foreman Construction Company, Inc. in 1973. BFL Construction Company, Inc. was formed in 1977 when Brav & Foreman formed a new company with NICO Construction Company (listed on the NYSE as LVI Group). He was responsible for the Tucson, Phoenix and Albuquerque operations. In 1984, the BFL stock owned by NICO was purchased by BFL.
Under his leadership, BFL expanded the business from tenant improvements to multi-million dollar commercial projects throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Garry takes great pride in the company’s reputation for superior work and the expertise and loyalty of his dedicated employees; many who have been with the company 20 to 30 years.
His community involvement has included positions with the American Cancer Society as Chairman of the Board, Co-Chair of their Capital Fund raising campaign for their Tucson headquarters, and for 20 years served as Chair and Co-Chair of the Development Committee for their annual major fund raising event.
Garry was Chair of the Mayor’s Homeless Facilities Committee; The American Red Cross Facility Acquisition Committee; Chair of the United Way of Tucson and the Southern Arizona Construction and Mining Division; and Steering Committee Member for El Rio Community Health Center’s 30th Anniversary Fund Drive. He is past Chairman for the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Development Services Committee developing the mid-rise zoning ordinances for the Camelback Corridor in Phoenix.
Garry is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

John Bremond

PresidentBremond Company, LLC

As former President of KB Home Tucson, Inc., Bremond brought 31 years of experience in the homebuilding industry, overseeing joint ventures within the region, managing political affairs, and providing guidance and support to divisional management in the pursuit of corporate objectives.

Bremond joined KB Home in 1989 as the director of purchasing for the Inland Empire division in Southern California, where he managed land entitlement, plan development and purchasing. In 1990 he moved to the Orange County division, as director of forward planning, overseeing land acquisitions and forward planning for the division. In 1993, Bremond established a new company division in Northern California where he served as the division president for six years before moving to Tucson to assume the division presidency which he held until June 2008.

Prior to joining KB Home, Bremond began his professional career in 1973 in the banking industry, serving as a real estate commercial loan officer for Southern Arizona Bank and Trust Company in Tucson. In 1977 he joined Earl Whigham Development Corporation, a Tucson based home building company, as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer. He went on to start the John Bremond Company in Tucson, building a variety of housing types and small commercial developments.

Under Bremond’s leadership, KB Home led all Tucson builders in sales and deliveries from 2000 through 2007. In addition, KB Home Tucson received the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona’s President’s Trophy for business ethics and was the first builder in the state of Arizona to earn the National Housing Quality certification from the NAHB Research Center.

Bremond currently serves on the boards of the Bank of Tucson, Tucson Conquistadores, The Glassman Foundation, and The First Tee. He has previously served on the Casa de los Niños, United Way, the Tucson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association boards and was named 2004 Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council. He is a member of the Eller College of Business and Public Administration National Board of Advisors, The Tucson Airport Authority, and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Bremond, a Tucson native, studied at the University of Arizona and commercial banking at the American Institute of Banking.

Martha Brumfield

President & CEOCritical Path Institute

Martha A. Brumfield, PhD, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Critical Path Institute, an Arizona based non-profit (501(c)3). In this role, Brumfield leads the institute in its mission to catalyze the development of new tools to advance medical product innovation and regulatory science which is accomplished by leading teams that share data, knowledge and expertise resulting in sound, consensus based science. Brumfield assumes the role of CEO after most recently serving as Critical Path Institute’s Director of International & Regulatory Programs. In that position, she helped guide international program development and provided regulatory expertise to consortia.

She also has her own consulting practice (Martha A. Brumfield LLC) focusing on concordance in global regulatory initiatives and regulatory science qualification programs. Other areas of focus in her practice include excellence in clinical trial conduct and pharmacovigilance, facilitation of scientific consortia and programs supporting patient access to medicines.

Brumfield brings 20 years of experience from Pfizer Inc, most recently, as senior vice president of worldwide regulatory affairs and quality assurance. There, she led a global team that supported lifecycle pharmaceutical research, development and commercialization through creation and implementation of regulatory strategies and quality assurance oversight. Brumfield also played a key role in managing the broader company relationships with global regulators, trade associations, academics and others on regulatory policy issues. She served on corporate governance initiatives including the planning and implementation of mergers and acquisitions and led her departments through these periods of significant change.

She serves on the Board of Directors for the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, participates in an advisory capacity to the Harvard Global Health Institute’s Multi-Regional Clinical Trial Center in developing a curriculum for potential Data and Safety Monitoring Board candidates from developing countries. She is also active with global nonprofits, including the Regulatory Harmonization Institute and GlobalMD, where she delivers educational workshops on regulatory and clinical trial topics in Asia. She has served on and contributed to the Institute of Medicine consensus committees, which were commissioned by U.S. FDA focusing on global regulatory systems and on falsified and substandard drugs.

Brumfield earned a B.S. and an M.S. in chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Maryland, and served as a post-doctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University.

Don Budinger

ChairmanThe Rodel Foundation

Don Budinger is one of the founders and the former President of Rodel, Inc. – a garage start up that grew to become the world’s largest manufacturer of the surface finishing chemicals used to make computer chips, rigid memory disks and specialty optics.

When Rodel was sold in 1999, a significant portion of the proceeds was contributed to create The Rodel Foundations. The purpose of the Rodel Foundations is to improve the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public education systems in Delaware and Arizona so that they will be widely recognized as two of the best in the nation.

Currently Don is chairman and founding director of The Rodel Foundations, chairman and founding director of Science Foundation Arizona, and chairman and founding director Emeritus of College Success Arizona( formerly Arizona College Scholarship Foundation). He is a board member of Morrison Institute, Basis Charter Schools, Greater Phoenix Leadership and the Grand Canyon Board of Trustees. In addition, Don serves on the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the O’Connor House Advisory Group, ASU President’s Club Trustees, Phoenix Biomedical Campus Advisory Council and No Labels in Washington DC.

Don has been the recipient of several awards including being named one of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy’s Distinguished Associates, the 2010 O’Connor House Community Leadership Award; an Honorary Doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Northern Arizona University; the “Science of Early Learning Award” from New Directions Institute; the “Horace Steele Child Advocacy Award” from Children’s Action Alliance, the “Outstanding Achievement in Higher Education” award from the Arizona Board of Regents; the “Homeroom Heroes” award from Teach for America and the “Distinguished Service” award from the University of Arizona College of Engineering.

Mr. Budinger graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964.

Neal Cash

President & CEOCommunity Partnerships of Southern AZ

Neal Cash is President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Partners, Inc. and its largest subsidiary, Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA). CPSA serves as the Regional Behavioral Health Authority contracted by the Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Behavioral Health Services to manage the public behavioral health system in southern Arizona.
Neal has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and administration from the University of Arizona.
He has made numerous presentations, provided consultative services nationwide in the area of mental health and substance use treatment, and has been recognized for his role in advocating for those services.
Neal has served on many task forces, expert panels, and boards of directors on a local, state and national level. Neal is a tenured board member of the National Council for Behavioral Health, an organization that promotes recovery from mental illness and addictions through public policy advocacy, leadership and workforce development, and organizational and practice improvement. Neal also served as part of the National GAINS Center National Leadership Forum on Behavioral Health/Criminal Justice Services.
With more than 35 years of experience in the behavioral health industry, including over fifteen years administrating the CPSA system of care, Neal has been involved with a broad spectrum of the community and has championed consumer and family involvement throughout the system of care.

Rita Cheng

PresidentNorthern Arizona University

Rita Cheng serves as the 16th president of Northern Arizona University. As a first-generation and non-traditional college student, Dr. Cheng firmly believes in making higher education accessible and affordable for all students. Her top priorities for the university are to enhance student success, promote effective teaching and learning, support the research environment and expand community engagement.

Dr. Cheng also is part of the Arizona Board of Regents’ Enterprise Executive Committee, comprised of the presidents of NAU, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and ABOR as the executive leadership of the Arizona public university enterprise system responsible for driving achievement of statewide goals.

At NAU, Dr. Cheng oversees an operating budget of $491 million and 5,500 faculty and staff. The university offers more than 200 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs to its 26,000 students.

Dr. Cheng arrived at NAU from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where she served as chancellor for four years and was a professor of accounting. She previously spent 22 years in teaching and administrative roles at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, including five years as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Steve Christy

DirectorNational Bank of Arizona

Stephen W. “Steve” Christy was born and raised in Tucson, and attended Sam Hughes, Mansfeld and Green Fields Schools, ultimately graduating from prep school in Toledo, Ohio. He received his B.A. in Political Science from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Christy began his business career in the automotive industry working as a “lot attendant” at his step-father Ed Galloway’s dealership, “Galloway Motors”. After working his way through all departments, Christy eventually bought the dealership in 1997. In 2001, he relocated his dealership to E. 22nd St and renamed it, “Steve Christy Chrysler-Jeep”. Christy sold his dealership in 2007 and several years later, worked for approximately two years as a Loan Officer in the Mortgage Lending industry.

In 2009, Gov. Jan Brewer appointed Christy to ADOT’s State Transportation Board, representing Pima Co. and recently finished his Board term as it’s 2013-14 Chairman. By virtue of the Governor’s appointment, Christy also served as a Board Member of both the Pima Association of Governments and the Regional Transportation Authority, serving as RTA Chairman for 2012-13.

In 2013, Christy was elected as a Director of the National Bank of Arizona.

In addition to his membership in SALC, Christy’s many civic affiliations include serving as Chairman of the Board of the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce 2006-7; memberships on or in the Tucson Airport Authority; The Rotary Club of Tucson; Tucson Conquistadors (Life Member and 1997 Tournament Chairman) and The Breakfast Club of Tucson. He was General Chairman of the United Way Campaign in 1992 and was a 1997 “Father of the Year”. Christy also served as President of the Tucson New Car Dealers Association and the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association.

He has been married for 33 years to Susie, a third-generation Tucsonan and they have three grown daughters, two having graduated from the U of A and one from ASU. The Christy’s have a year-old grandson and are expecting a granddaughter in April.

Chris Clements

CEOGolden Eagle Distributors

Christopher W. Clements (Chris) is Vice Chairman and CEO of Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc., a family-owned Arizona-based wholesaler for several major national brewers including: Anheuser-Busch-InBev, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Odell, Craft Brewers Alliance (CBA), Upslope, Hangar 24, St. Archer, and the Barrio Brewery. Since becoming CEO in 2003, Golden Eagle consistently ranks as one of the largest beer wholesalers in the country with sales of over 9 million cases. Under Chris’ leadership, Golden Eagle has grown to enjoy a statewide market-share of 65% while consistently recognized for its innovations in delivery technology. In 2012, Golden Eagle was awarded with Beverage World’s “Fleet of the Year” for its successful, cost saving transition to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for all of its Tucson delivery fleet.

Chris is a recognized leader in the beer industry serving on several national boards. From 2003 to 2007, he served on the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Advisory Panel. Currently, he serves as Past Chair of the Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona (BWDA) and Region Chair of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) Board of Directors. In 1998, he testified to the US Congress on behalf of NBWA on the need for comprehensive tax reform especially with regard to Death Taxes.

A dedicated philanthropist, Chris is President of The Wings Like Eagles Foundation, a private employee-supported foundation created in 2003 to provide additional financial support to a variety of charities in communities served by Golden Eagle. To date, The Wings Like Eagles Foundation has granted over $1.8 Million statewide to many worthy organizations.

In 2006, Chris and his sister, Kimberly, founded SPIKE Beverage, LLC which distributes a number of alternative beverages such as: Jones Soda, Neuro, Voss, Hansen’s Natural (amongst others) across all of Arizona. Additionally, Chris is Managing Partner of DogStar Land Equity, LLC specializing in both residential and industrial development in both Arizona and California.

Chris is active in leadership of the Arizona Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) where he has served in a variety of positions including: 2014-2015 Chapter Chair, 2013-2014 Education Chair; 2011-2012 Membership Chair. Chris is also active in YPO-WPO International serving as Past Chairman of the Global Diplomacy and Public Policy Network (GDPP); and, Champion of the Conservative Global Public Policy Forum. For several years, Chris has co-chaired the “YPO Inside Washington Seminar” in Washington, DC. The seminar brings together YPO members from all over the world to learn the inner workings of the U.S. government with private tours and briefings in the U.S. Capitol, The White House, Pentagon, State Department and the Supreme Court. In 2012, Chris was honored with YPO’s “The Best of the Best” award.

Jim Click

PresidentJim Click Automotive

Jim Click, Jr. was born in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma, April 28, 1944. He is a third-generation car dealer. His grandfather, Bert Click, was a pioneer Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Shawnee Oklahoma, and his father, Jim Click, Sr., was a Chevrolet dealer in Altus, Oklahoma. His parents, Jim Sr. and Margaret Click, raised the “Click Clan” in Altus. Jim; his brother, Joey; and his two sisters, Janet and Jill, were known in town for their athletic prowess. It was common to see the entire Click family out water-skiing on Lake Altus with or without skis, as Jim was inclined to do.

Jim graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1966, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. He was a Scholastic All-American football player, received the Big 8 Medallion Award, and was captain of OSU’s Cowboy football team. Jim was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity and made Dean’s Honor Roll every semester. In 1985, Jim Click received OSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Honored as one of the University’s most outstanding graduates, he was inducted into OSU’s Hall of Fame.

After graduation, Jim Click went to work selling cars for his great uncle, the legendary Holmes Tuttle, at his Ford dealership in Los Angeles. Within two years, he was the top salesperson, which led to a promotion to Sales Manager at the Beverly Hills Mercury dealership. The next step for Jim came quickly, as he was promoted to General Manager of the Lincoln-Mercury store. In 1971, Jim moved to Tucson and purchased his first dealership called Pueblo Ford. By changing the name to Jim Click Ford, using a massive media advertising campaign, and doing a lot of hard work, his dealership’s sales volume doubled. At age 27, Jim was one of the Country’s youngest automotive dealers. Forty years later, Jim and his cousin, Bob Tuttle, are co-owners of the Tucson-based Jim Click and Holmes Tuttle Automotive Teams, which includes: Ford, Lincoln, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia. They also have several dealerships in Orange County, California, and was ranked 22nd in the 2000 Automotive News Top 100 Dealerships Group.

In 1978, Jim and Bob purchased a controlling interest in Arizona Bank’s predecessor, Union Bank of Tucson. As Chairman of the Board, Jim led Arizona Bank, with its familiar Kachina logo, towards constant growth, as it became the largest independent bank in the State of Arizona. In December 1998, Alabama-based Compass Bank purchased Arizona Bank, and Jim served on its Board of Directors.

Jim Click is no doubt one of Tucson’s most visible philanthropists. Just some of his volunteerism includes: Junior Achievement, Board of Directors, President and recipient of the prestigious, Gold Lay Leadership award; Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Capital Fund Drive, raising over $1.2 million to build the Holmes Tuttle Boys & Girls Club, the Roy Drachman Boys & Girls Club, and the Jim and Vicki Click Club; Salpointe Catholic High School, Chairman, of the 1988 Capital Campaign; and the University of Arizona Foundation, Board Member. In 1982, he was Tucson’s Man of the Year and is a member of the Tucson Conquistadores. A dedicated citizen, in 1999 he led a successful effort to maintain an adequate water supply for Tucson’s future. And as Chairman of the Capital Campaign for Primavera Builders, Jim raised the money to build a new training center for the homeless. In 2009, Jim Click was honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson with the 1st Annual Click for Kids Award to recognize his 30+ years of service to the Clubs. It is the Club’s highest recognition and expression of gratitude.

The combination of academics and athletics plays an influential role in the nurturing of Jim’s entrepreneurial spirit. Leadership gifts from the Click family have included the University of Arizona’s Adaptive Athletic Program, the Jim Click Hall of Champions at U of A McKale Center, the Click Family Athletic Center at Landmark College in Vermont, and the current construction of two new Boys & Girls Clubs.

Disabilities have always been at the center of Jim Click’s family focus. In 1975, he was one of the first Tucson employers to offer a workstation for people with developmental disabilities through the Beacon Foundation. Today, Jim employs sixty-eight individuals with disabilities at his dealerships. In 1999, President Bill Clinton presented Jim with the President’s Award from the Committee of Employment of People with Disabilities for his leadership in the development of LINKAGES, a unique non-profit organization that matches individuals with disabilities with employment opportunities.

As a devoted family man, Jim Click and The Click Family Foundation, help establish a Cristo Rey model high school in Tucson where at risk teenagers from disadvantaged neighbors are able to obtain a Catholic, college and career preparatory education. San Miguel High School, established built in 2004, has graduated five classes, with 100% graduation success and all of the seniors accepted to universities and college nationwide.

Although he has never run for any political office, Jim Click’s passion for politics and electing good citizens to serve has often driven him to positions of fund-raising and finance chair for numerous candidates at the local, state, and national levels. From former Mayor of Tucson Lew Murphy, to Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, to former United States Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, to the 2000 election of President George W. Bush, Jim Click’s support was a tremendous boost to many campaign successes!

Having been athletic all his life, Jim Click has maintained his desire for fitness and enjoys the competition of sports. Jim has completed marathons in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, and New York City. He and his daughter, Carrie, have run several marathons together. Jim is also an avid cyclist, and races vintage cars, on the Jim Click Racing Team.

Jim and his wife Vicki have resided in Tucson, Arizona for the past 44 years. They have two children, Christian James Click and Carrie Warnes Click.

David Cohen

Executive Vice PresidentBeachFleischman PC

David is a founding shareholder and Executive Vice President at Beach Fleischman PC. He was previously employed with the international CPA firms of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG) and Laventhol & Horwath. David’s areas of specialty include tax planning and strategy, business consulting and retirement planning. His industry experience includes real estate, high tech and software, professional services, manufacturing and distribution, medical practices and professional athletes.

David has been a member of SALC for many years and is a strong believer in SALC’s mission. He has been passionate about making Tucson and Arizona great places in which to live and work. David has a long history of service to the community, often taking a leadership role. In addition to his service with SALC as Co-Chair of the Membership Committee, David’s current involvements include Centurions; Desert Angels, Executive Committee member; TMC HealthCare, Trustee; Tax 20 Group, a National Tax Director Association; Tucson Tax Study Group, Director; and a member of the VIP Breakfast Club.

Mel Cohen

PartnerMesch, Clark & Rothschild, PC

Mel Cohen’s law practice focuses on commercial litigation and transactions with emphasis on construction, surety, real estate and business disputes. Starting in 1974 as a Pima County Deputy County Attorney he gained substantial experience in numerous construction projects including Ina Road Wastewater facility, Kino Hospital, golf courses as well as representing Pima County Planning and Zoning, Building Code, Elections, School Superintendent and the County Merit System. After leaving the County and travelling for a year, he returned to open a private practice with Howard Watt, developing a practice representing general contractors, owners, subcontractors, sureties, design professionals and developers. Joining Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, P.C. in 1989 he has continued litigation, arbitration and mediation of large commercial disputes, including lending and other commercial agreements, real estate acquisition, leases and manufacturing agreements, mergers and acquisitions, as well as construction of auditoriums, mining facilities, multi-family projects, telescopes, water and sewer projects, large private residences, highway and pipeline construction.

Community, Religious, and Civil Affiliations: Board Member of Reading Seed, now Literacy Connects. 2012 City of Tucson Bond Oversight Commission for Roads; assists in leading Shabbat and Holiday services at Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging; previously University of Arizona Hillel Foundation Board of Directors and President; Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging Board of Director and Chair. Volunteer Attorney for Tourette’s Syndrome Association.

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors, University of Cincinnati, 1970. Juris Doctor, University of Pittsburgh, 1973. Admitted to practice, State Bar of Arizona and Federal District Court, 1974; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Training, including Harvard University and American Arbitration Association

Dan Coleman

OwnerDan Coleman, LLC

Dan Coleman has been a full-time resident of Tucson since 1999. He founded a music publishing company that maintains offices in Tucson, Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York, and which represents hundreds of well-known songwriters from around the USA. He has served as composer-in-residence for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra since 2002. A fellow of the Flinn-Brown Academy (Fall 2014 cohort), he is one of four co-founders of the Tucson Jazz Festival. Awards and honors include: ASCAP, American Academy of Arts and Letters fellowship, Presser Fellowship, Meet the Composer/NEA grants, Arizona Commission on the Arts Fellowship. Dan holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a MM from The Juilliard School.

Jannie Cox

CEOMeet Me Concepts, LLC

Jannie Cox graduated from the James Ward Thorne School of Nursing at Northwestern University and arrived in Tucson in 1971. She spent 26 years at Carondelet Health Network as CEO of Carondelet Foundation, retiring in 2009.

Jannie has a special interest in the revitalization of downtown Tucson. She serves on the Rio Nuevo District Board and couldn’t be more pleased about their opportunity with the City of Tucson, to bring tax-generating development to downtown.

In addition to her service with Rio Nuevo, Jannie serves on the Advisory Board of BBVA Compass Bank, is a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and volunteers in her neighborhood for the Old Ft. Lowell Live at Home program.

Jannie is also pursuing her personal passion for cycling and interest in helping Tucson to be a “fit city.” Her husband, David, and she started Meet Me at Maynards (MMM), a venue for exercise and enhancing the economy of downtown Tucson. MMM is a free weekly walk/run at Hotel Congress on Mondays. They recently celebrated their 200th consecutive Monday! The group has grown to more than 500 walkers and runners every Monday, following a route that shows off downtown and 4th Avenue.

Jannie subsequently started Meet Me at La Encantada, a similar event on Wednesday evenings, and Meet Me Monday in Boise, Idaho. All this led to the creation of her new business Meet Me Concepts, LLC, “Building Community Through Fitness.” She hopes to create “Meet Me” events throughout Arizona and neighboring states. Jannie has three married sons, three wonderful daughters-in-law and thoroughly enjoys being a grandmother.

Joe Coyle

Principal & Managing DirectorThe Patrick Group

Joseph P. Coyle serves as Principal & Managing Director for The Patrick Group in Tucson, Arizona. Previously Joe was Vice President of Human Resources & External Affairs for Raytheon Missile Systems, responsible for the Human Resources, External Affairs functions within Missile Systems, spanning the disciplines of labor relations, compensation, recruiting, public affairs, governmental & community relations and publication services. Joe was named to this position in February 1998, after the merger of Raytheon Company and Hughes Aircraft Company. Prior to this, he had been Director of Human Resources and Communications for Hughes Missile Systems Company and the Weapons Systems Segment of Hughes Aircraft Company since 1996.

Prior to joining Hughes, Joe was with Loral Corporation (formerly Ford Aerospace), where he held many positions of increasing levels of responsibility. His last assignment there was Vice President, Administration & Operations Support at Loral’s Space & Range Systems, a position he held since 1993. In this position, Joe continued his responsibility for all Human Resources activities in addition to the Division’s TQM and Product Assurance programs; Manufacturing; Configuration & Data Management; Publication & Proposal Production; and Environmental Health & Safety. During his six-year tenure at Loral Space & Range Systems, first as Vice President – HR, then Vice President – Administration & Operations Support, Joe achieved several major milestones. Most notable were his successful negotiations of eight collective bargaining agreements representing the lowest total labor cost escalations achieved during negotiations in the organization’s last 24 years, along with a major overhaul of the organization’s compensation & benefits program — two measures which enhanced Loral’s market competitiveness.

From 1988 to 1990 Joe was the Director of Human Resources Planning and Programs at Ford Aerospace’s Space Missions Group Staff in Washington, DC. There he was responsible for coordinating and developing all advanced Human Resources programs requirements for five Divisions (over 6,000 employees). Joe was also directly involved at the executive decision level in several acquisition and divestiture teams. From 1985 through 1987, while serving as Manager, Corporate Compensation and Manager of Personnel Planning and Relations at Ford Aerospace’s headquarters facility in Detroit, MI, Joe handled Compensation, Recruitment, Employee Relations, Training & Development, and Organization and Personnel Training. Prior to 1984, Joe held numerous other Managerial positions with both Ford’s Aerospace and Motor Company operations.
Joe earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from The American University (Emphasis: Personnel Management and Marketing). Joe since has taken extensive (MBA) graduate studies at Temple University, George Washington University, the University of Houston, and University of California. Joe also received a certificate in Program Management from West Coast University.

Joe is a previous Chairman of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Executive Board/Past Chairman member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and United Way, as well as serving on the Board of Directors for Pima County Workforce Investment Board and Greater Tucson Economic Council. He is past Chairman, Tucson United Way Campaign.

Michael Crow

President & ProfessorArizona State University

Michael M. Crow is an academic leader and educator, designer of knowledge enterprises, and science and technology policy scholar. He has been the sixteenth president of Arizona State University since July 2002. He is guiding the transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public metropolitan research universities, an institution combining academic excellence, inclusiveness, and societal impact—a model he terms the “New American University.” During his tenure ASU has established major transdisciplinary research initiatives and witnessed an unprecedented academic infrastructure expansion, quadrupling of research expenditures, and attainment of record levels of diversity. He was previously executive vice provost and professor of science and technology policy at Columbia University.

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academy of Public Administration, he is the author of books and articles analyzing knowledge enterprises, science and technology policy and the design of higher education institutions and systems.

Don Diamond

Donald Diamond has been married to his wife, Joan, for 63 years. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Mr. Diamond is chairman of Diamond Ventures, Inc., whose business interests include real estate related Investments and development projects in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

His career in land development began in the 1960’s with the acquisition of the 450 acres Pima Canyon Estates custom home site community in the Tucson Catalina Foothills and the 5,000 acre Rocking K Ranch, one of the community’s largest planned development areas. He was a principal in buying, planning and developing the 12,000 plus acres from the Howard Hughes Estate and The Canyons, a 160-acre premiere luxury home site community in the Tucson Catalina Foothills. His most recent land acquisitions are 5,200 acres of land know as Saddleback Heights in Peoria, Arizona and 1,600 acres in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Mr. Diamond is a member of the board of directors of the Rincon Institute and serves on the National Board of Advisors for the University of Arizona College of Business & Public Administration. He also serves as a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Desert Caucus and is a life member of Tucson Airport Authority and Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. Mr. Diamond supports a myriad of philanthropic ventures. In 1973 he served as the United Way campaign chairman and in 1995 he was the first chairman of United Way’s Tucson Alexis de Tocqueville Society. Through Diamond Ventures he was also instrumental in extending a one-million dollar line of credit for Habitat for Humanity to increase the organization’s operation capital. His most impactful community gift to date is $15 million to support the construction of Diamond Children’s Medical Center which opened in 2010 on the campus of University Medical Center.

Randi Dorman

PrincipalR&R Development

Randi Dorman is passionate about the Tucson Downtown and Arts & Culture communities. Randi became involved in downtown redevelopment when she moved to Tucson from New York 13 years ago. She and her husband, architect Rob Paulus, have developed groundbreaking urban projects such as the Ice House Lofts, Barrio Metalico and indigoMODERN, with an eye on always moving Tucson into the future in a positive way. She was President of the Museum of Contemporary Art for over 5 years, and is proud of how that museum has grown into an important local and global institution. In addition, she does branding consulting with Bromberg Consulting. Randi recently won a TPAC Lumie Award for Civic Arts Partner Leadership, is on the Downtown Tucson Partnership board, is a Flinn-Brown Fellow and was appointed to the Tucson Charter Review Committee. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and her favorite role is that of mom to Skye.

Rob Draper

PresidentO'Rielly Chevrolet, Inc.

Rob Draper is President of O’Rielly Chevrolet, Inc., one of the nation’s largest Chevrolet dealerships and locally owned and operated since 1924. He became the Dealer Principal in July 2010. Rob is also the President of O’Rielly Ventures, Inc., which engages primarily in real estate development and investment and local venture investing.

Prior to joining the O’Rielly group in 2002, Rob was a partner in the law firm of Winston & Strawn in Washington, D.C., where he practiced for twelve years in the areas of energy and international project finance. As an energy lawyer, he represented many of the U.S. utility companies that operate nuclear power plants with respect to licensing, regulatory compliance, contractual, and business advisory matters. As a project finance lawyer, he represented project developers and agencies such as the U.S. Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation in their financing and development of power plants and other energy and infrastructure projects, mostly overseas.

Rob is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Airport Authority, Tucson Conquistadores, and Tucson New Car Dealers Association. He serves on the Board of the Catalina Council, Boy Scouts of America and hosts the Council’s annual All-Business Pinewood Derby at O’Rielly Chevrolet. He also served on the Board of Directors of “Imagine Greater Tucson.” He was a member of the TUSD Blue Ribbon Committee, which he co-chaired in 2007 with then-TUSD Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer, and remains interested in supporting and promoting quality local education.

Rob grew up in Austin, Texas and went to high school in Beaumont, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in physics and political science from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and a law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of Arizona, and the District of Columbia Bar.

Rob is married to Amy O’Rielly Draper, and they have three children – Katie, a graduate of University High and senior at Wake Forest University; Jack, a senior at Salpointe; and Ryan, a sophomore at University High. He enjoys travel, golf, sailing, skiing, wakeboarding, serving as a Scout leader, and assisting with and watching his kids’ sports activities.

Michael Duran

Vice President/Chief Development OfficerTMC HealthCare/TMC Foundation

Michael Duran is Vice President and Chief Development Officer for TMC HealthCare and the TMC Foundation. Michael is responsible for leading the philanthropic objectives of the TMC Foundation and is leading its fundraising and development programs to improve the quality of life in our community.

Michael Duran has committed his professional life to improving the lives of others, especially by expanding educational opportunities and reaching out to underserved populations.

As chief development officer for TMC HealthCare, Michael is instrumental in aligning the philanthropic interests of donors with the health care needs of our community. Whether it’s purchasing life-saving equipment or underwriting programs and services that improve the quality of care, Michael is leading key initiatives for Tucson Medical Center.

Currently, Michael is Chair of Tucson Values Teachers and is active with the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Michael has served on the board of directors of Avalon Health Care, the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, The Arizona Senior Academy, OASIS and the TUSD Blue Ribbon Committee. Michael has served as an adjunct faculty member of Pima Community College’s Community Campus, teaching business law, and a past lecturer of management and policy at the UA Eller College of Business and Public Administration.

Michael was inducted into the Salpointe High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

Michael received his business and law degrees from the University of Arizona.

Bruce Dusenberry

PresidentHorizon Moving Systems

Born in 1950 at Tucson Medical Center. Second generation native on father’s side; third generation on mother’s. Graduated from Catalina High School in 1968, Occidental College in 1972, and UCLA School of Law in 1975. Returned to Tucson to practice law with a number of firms including Davis, Epstein & Tretschok; Kerry, Schocket & Dusenberry; and Gust Rosenfeld. Areas of practice included banking, business, real estate and estate planning. Married Lynne Wood in 1982 and blessed with two wonderful children: Brett and Courtney. Lynne worked for the University of Arizona for 33 years in the Office of the General Counsel, retiring in 2012.

Bruce left the practice of law in 1993 to take over the helm of the family business, Horizon Moving Systems. Horizon still has offices in Sierra Vista and Yuma; the other offices were sold to Suddath Companies in 2013.

Bruce served on the Board of Directors of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Southern Arizona Defense Alliance, UniGroup, Inc., the parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, from 1999 to 2009. Has served on the Boards of numerous community organizations including Southern Arizona Leadership Council, YMCA of Metropolitan Tucson, American Heart Association, Saguaro Rotary, DM-50, Arizona Town Hall and Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce. Member of the Tucson Airport Authority.

Interests: Instrument rated private pilot, photographer and devoted UA Wildcat fan. When time permits, the family enjoys traveling and all too infrequent retreats to their cabin in the White Mountains of Northern Arizona.

Ali Farhang

Partner / OwnerFarhang & Medcoff PLLC

Ali Farhang is the Managing Partner of the law firm of Farhang & Medcoff. Ali is an AV Rated attorney who practices in the areas of labor and employment law, business consultation, and commercial litigation. Ali is a dedicated advocate for our community and volunteers his time to a number of philanthropic endeavors, including, pro bono general counsel for the Boys & Girls club of Tucson, and as head coach of the Foothills Chargers and assistant coach of the varsity football team at Catalina Foothills High School.

Education & Honors:
B.A., University of Arizona, 1993
University of Cambridge, Trinity College, 1995
J.D., University of Denver, College of Law, 1997
Recipient of “40 Under 40” award 2006, from Tucson Business Edge Magazine
Top Lawyers, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine

Patricia Feeney

President, So. AZ Market, Comm. BankingChase Commercial Bank

SALC member Patricia “Patty” Feeney is responsible for managing Chase’s Southern Arizona Commercial Banking Department, which supports clients with sales of $20 to $500 million. Prior to her current position, she was a Senior Underwriter at Chase for Middle Market and Government, Non for Profit and Healthcare clients in CA and AZ. Patty has been with Chase for 17 years.

Patty grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a BSBA from Indiana University. In Pittsburgh, she worked for Mellon Bank and Westinghouse Credit in Asset Based Lending and for Calgon Corporation as the Credit and Collections Manager.

In addition to her membership in SALC, she serves on the boards of La Paloma Family Services and Junior Achievement of S. AZ. Patty’s hobbies include photography, hiking, skiing and travel.

Ryan Flannagan

CEONuanced Media

Ryan’s experience in business has been vast and varied, drawing on 10+ years of marketing and business experience including founding and operating a software development company. After receiving his MBA from Washburn University, Ryan went on to found Nuanced Media in 2010, a digital marketing agency which focuses on website design, digital marketing, and brand identity.

Ryan is passionate about thought leadership, experience sharing and collaboration in the digital space. He utilizes his in-depth market analysis capabilities and understanding of complex technologies to provide optimum service for Nuanced Media’s clients.

He is well-known in the community for strong involvement, candor and leadership, as well as for his commitment to generously contributing in-kind services to nonprofits.

Tony Fonze

President & CEOSt. Joseph's Hospital

Anthony Fonze, formerly Carondelet Health Network’s Chief Information Officer and a Vice President of Ascension Health Information Systems, is the President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital. Mr. Fonze has enjoyed a successful career in a variety of major leadership positions including healthcare operations, information systems, research and development and as an entrepreneur. He has been integral in the planning and implementation of many key strategic initiatives for Carondelet Health Network. He is a founder of Arizona’s health information exchange (HINAz) and is a trustee of Arizona Health-E Connection, a state supported organization promoting state-wide use of the electronic medical record. He is also a commercial helicopter pilot.

Duane Froeschle

President, Arizona & Northern Nevada DivisionsWestern Alliance Bank

Duane Froeschle has 42 years of experience in commercial banking including 13 years in executive management within Western Alliance Bancorporation, where he currently serves as President of Western Alliance Bank. Mr. Froeschle joined the parent company in 2002 and served as its Chief Credit Officer from 2002 to 2011.

Mr. Froeschle is a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia with B.A in Economics. He has been active in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations in Tucson, including Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Arizona-Mexico Commission, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, and Arizona Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance.

Jessica Galow

Director of Resource DevelopmentUnited Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona

Ms. Galow grew up in Tucson and is a proud graduate of the Eller College of Management, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management.

Shortly after graduating, Ms. Galow managed an international dietary supplement business for several years before beginning a career in nonprofit management. Ms. Galow joined United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona in August, 2014 as Director of Resource Development, bringing a combination of corporate and nonprofit management skills to the organization.

Ms. Galow currently serves as president of the Tucson Young Professionals, as well as serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. On both committees, she holds co-chair positions in the areas of professional development.

Harry George

Managing PartnerSolstice Capital

Harry has more than 35 years experience in founding, operating and investing in successful rapid growth technology-related companies. He is a co-founder of Solstice Capital. From its inception in 1981 to 1989, Mr. George was co-founder, Director, and Vice-President of Finance for Interleaf Inc. During this time, Interleaf, a pioneer in electronic publishing, grew to be a publicly traded company with $100 million in annual revenue. In January 2000, Interleaf was acquired by Broadvision in a stock merger that valued Interleaf at approximately $900 million. Prior to this, Harry was a co-founder, Director and Vice President of Finance of Kurzweil Computer Products, subsequently purchased by Xerox Imaging Systems.

Harry has been a Director of a number of private and public companies and is currently a Director of AmpliMed, Lumidigm, High Throughput Genomics, and Regenesis Biomedical. He is a member of the Investors’ Circle and was active with the Arizona Venture Capital Conference, where he was on the conference screening panel from 1997-2003. Harry is a member of the advisory committee of the MBA program at the Eller School of Business of the University of Arizona and serves as an advisor to the Arizona Center for Innovation. From 1996 to 2003, he was a Trustee of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and he currently serves as its Vice Chair of Treasure the Desert Capital Campaign. He is also a Trustee of the Tucson Museum of Art. He received an AB from Bowdoin College.

Chris Gleason

CEONextMed

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Chris Gleason was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He joined with his brother Matt Gleason to found the NextMed companies in 1996. NextMed is provider of premium mobile outpatient urology equipment and related services. NextMed currently provides services to more than 500 hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in 30 plus states. NextMed is unique among its competitors in its use of ever more sophisticated statistical and analytic tools to drive ever improving outcomes and process improvements.

Guy Gunther

VP/GM - Outstate AZ Regional Markets GroupCenturyLink

Guy Gunther, formerly CenturyLink’s Vice President and General Manager of Tucson and Outstate Arizona, has been recently appointed the company’s Vice President of Operations for the entire State of Arizona. In his expanded role, Gunther will be responsible for operational results and customer satisfaction, representing the company in the community and with state and local leaders, and directing CenturyLink’s continued network investments in high speed broadband, Prism™ TV, and cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for business customers. He will maintain offices in both Tucson and Phoenix. Gunther moved to Tucson in 2011 when CenturyLink acquired Qwest. Prior to this he worked ten years for Qwest in various leadership positions. He has previous experience in management consulting and with start-up companies in the technology and communications industries. Gunther is the current chairman of the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) and also serves on the boards of the Tucson Metro Chamber, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and the Catalina Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He and his wife, Karen, have two young children.

Mike Hammond

President & CEOCushman & Wakefield | PICOR

Michael Hammond has been in commercial real estate since 1978 and is President, Founder and Managing Shareholder of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, Southern Arizona’s leading independent commercial real estate brokerage and management firm. He has been a national trainer for the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors for 20 years, teaching sales and marketing skills to incoming real estate professionals early in their careers. In 2002, with his background in industrial real estate and interest in regional economic development, he began focusing on the border region and, more specifically, the State of Sonora, Mexico. PICOR subsequently incorporated in Mexico and is successfully expanding their services into Southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

Duff Hearon

PresidentAshland Group

As well as serving on SALC’s Board of Directors, long-time member Duff Hearon is actively engaged in several SALC focus areas and committees, including the Governance and Infrastructure focus areas, the Membership and Strategic Initiatives committees, and the Tucson Regional Water Coalition.

For over 25 years Duff has been joint or sole Principal and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ashland Group, a diversified investment company in commercial real estate, land and securities. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Law with highest distinction and holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Finance and Accounting, also from the University of Arizona. After graduation from undergraduate school, Duff was proud to be commissioned and serve as an officer in the United States Army.

Duff began his business career as a CPA in the Chicago office of a “Big 8” accounting firm (back when there were 8!). He returned to Tucson and, after his graduation from law school, practiced commercial and tax law with the largest law firm in Southern Arizona. While no longer actively practicing law, he is still recognized as an “A” and “V” rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, the National Lawyers Directory, its highest designation for legal expertise and ethics. Duff established Ashland Group in 1985.

Duff holds or has held board positions with many professional organizations including, the Board of Directors of the University Science & Technology Park, Pima County Real Estate Research Council (Chairman), the Conquistadores and the Greater Tucson Economic Council – GTEC (Chairman), and the Centurions. He also served as a Board member and Fundraising Campaign Chairman of the United Way of Greater Tucson. He is a member of Tucson Airport Authority and University of Arizona President’s Club. Duff was an initial member of the Governor’s Strategic Partnership for Economic Development (GSPED).

Duff’s proudest of raising three children (now adults) Heather, Megan and Duff James with his wife of over 30 years, Michelle. His family and good friends in this Valley and State are what inspire him daily to try to create a better and more prosperous Community.

Mark Henschen

Mark Henschen serves as interim publisher of the Arizona Daily Star. He also retains his title as vice president of circulation and operations, a position he has held since joining the Star in 2011.

Henschen is pleased to be one of three inductees to the National Circulation Director Hall of Fame for 2015. He has worked in circulation since he was a college student and has received several industry awards, including the Newspaper Association of America’s circulation sales executive of the year in 2004.

Margaret Hepburn

President & CEOSierra Vista Regional Legacy Foundation

Margaret Hepburn has been CEO of the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona since October 2013.

Prior to her current position Ms. Hepburn served for more than 8 years as President and CEO of Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, Sierra Vista, Arizona. During that time she worked closely with the hospital Board in developing a partnership that resulted in the building of a replacement hospital for the community.

Ms. Hepburn has a BSc in Nursing from Tayside University, Dundee, Scotland, and an MS from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.

She is a Fellow of the Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Ms Hepburn serves on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Tucson Board of the American Red Cross. She is also a member of several local and state organizations.

Memberships and Affiliations
State Bar of Arizona
Pima County Bar Association
State Bar of California (inactive)
Admitted Arizona Supreme Court and U.S. District Court
University of Arizona Foundation Board of Trustees 2005-2011 (Executive Committee, Governance Committee Chair and Corporate Secretary)
University of Arizona National Alumni Board of Directors (Executive Committee) 1996-2002
Arizona Town Hall Participant
Past President and Governance Board Member, Tucson Children’s Museum

Ted is active in the Tucson community and a supporter of the University of Arizona, having served on the Board of Directors for the University of Arizona Foundation and National Alumni Association and as President of the Tucson Children’s Museum. He has presented at continuing legal education seminars, including presentations involving commercial loan modifications and note purchase transactions.

Barney Holtzman

Managing Director, Tucson OfficeFennemore Craig, PC

Mr. Holtzman, managing director of the Tucson office, practices in the areas of labor and employment law, financial services and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on insurance bad faith and ERISA/employee benefits litigation. Mr. Holtzman is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Holtzman’s employment practice includes counseling management on preventative employment practices and employee discipline. He represents employers against claims alleging employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, retaliation and other employment-related claims before courts and governmental agencies, such as the EEOC, the Department of Labor and the Arizona Civil Rights Division. He also counsels clients on a wide range of employment issues that arise during the hiring process, the management of a workforce and termination, layoff or reductions in force. Mr. Holtzman also speaks often on preventive employment practices and drafting and implementing policies to avoid employment-related claims.

Mr. Holtzman’s financial services practice includes counseling clients on compliance with Federal and State laws affecting the financial services industry, obtaining licensing and defending clients in governmental investigations and public and private lawsuits involving a wide-variety of claims, including those involving RESPA, TILA and state law.

As a commercial litigator, Mr. Holtzman has represented Fortune 500 companies and small family businesses in a variety of areas. He has tried cases in both federal and state court and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the ERISA/employee benefits area, he focuses his practice on the defense of disability benefits claims and regularly defends bad faith claims against life, disability and property insurers.

Mr. Holtzman provides a unique perspective to clients due to his period as in-house counsel for a national financial services company with more than 5,000 employees. Mr. Holtzman was Deputy General Counsel for Human Resources, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, overseeing all legal matters arising from these areas. He uses his experience to help clients with the legal and business issues that confront them, including responding to the challenges of e-discovery.

David Hutchens

David G. Hutchens is President and Chief Executive Officer of UNS Energy Corporation (“UNS Energy”), parent company of Tucson Electric Power (“TEP”) and Unisource Energy Services (“UES”).

Mr. Hutchens has been with UNS Energy for nearly 20 years. He advanced through various management positions overseeing wholesale energy trading and marketing and, in January 2007, was named Vice President of Wholesale Energy and UNS Gas, an operating subsidiary of UES. He became Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Resource Planning in May 2009, rose to Executive Vice President in March 2011 and was named President in December 2011 before assuming his current role in May 2014.

He earned a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arizona and is a former nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Hutchens joined the Board of Directors of UNS Energy in December 2013. He is a member of the Edison Electric Institute’s Board of Directors and Arizona’s State Energy Advisory Board. He also is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Tucson Conquistadores, Salpointe Catholic Education Board of Directors, the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Board of Directors and the DM 50.

Ike Isaacson

Managing DirectorCBRE

Ike Isaacson is the Managing Director for CBRE’s Tucson office. CBRE is the world’s largest, full-service commercial real estate firm and the Tucson office has been serving the community for over 50 years. He leads 30 professionals across multiple service lines, including Brokerage, Investment Properties, Asset Management, Debt & Structured Finance and Valuation & Appraisal Services. Ike is responsible for the successful integration of these business lines for the benefit of CBRE’s clients. He is also responsible for business development, recruiting the market’s top talent and ensuring clients receive world-class service.

Ike began his real estate career 15 years ago when he teamed up with his father, Buzz Isaacson, one of the most tenured and well-respected commercial real estate professionals in Southern Arizona. The two joined CBRE in 2008, specializing in office, medical and R&D properties. Over the course of Ike’s commercial real estate career he has successfully completed more than 300 sale and lease transactions totaling over 2 million square feet throughout Greater Tucson. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2012.

In addition to his role with CBRE Ike also owns and operates Ike’s Coffee & Tea, located in downtown Tucson’s Pioneer Building. The popular independent coffee shop also has license agreements in four locations at Tucson International Airport.

Ike has been a member of the Centurions since 2003. This prestigious service organization, representing 100 of the community’s most prominent business and civic leaders, has raised more than $4 million since 1970 for Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital—Arizona’s first hospital and the only hospital on Tucson’s west side offering a full-range of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services.

Ike is also the co-founder of the Tanzania Street Children Project, a non-profit organization with two orphanages in Singida, Tanzania, Africa, providing homeless boys with food, shelter, counseling and education.

Gregg Johnson

Campus DirectorUniversity of Phoenix

Gregg Johnson is the Campus Director for the six Southern Arizona campuses of the University of Phoenix where his responsibilities are to direct enrollment, finance, student services, and academic affairs.

Johnson’s career has been focused on education at many levels. Prior to joining the University of Phoenix, he served as a school administrator in Utah where he directed accreditation and licensure, trained staff and teachers, and supervised the school director. Prior to that Johnson directed church educational programs in St Louis, MO where he also started and maintained a bookstore for teachers and a food co-op. Johnson has taught religious education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has traveled all over the world on behalf of the LDS Church Educational System.

After earning his B.A. from the University of Utah, Johnson served as a navy pilot before pursuing his Master’s in Educational Psychology and earning his Doctorate of Education – both at Brigham Young University.

Johnson serves the community through a number of organizations. In addition to his position on the board of directors for TREO and also the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he is also chair of the governance committee and executive committee member of the Community Food Bank, chair of the planning committee for Workforce Investment Board, and associate board member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.

Gregg Johnson received the “Distinguished Teaching Award” from the University of Phoenix.

Tim (TJ) Johnson

CEOHTG Molecular

Mr. Johnson joined HTG Molecular Diagnostics six years ago as Chief Executive Officer and has led the company’s transition from a boutique research company to a growing personalized healthcare based company. Mr. Johnson has lead the efforts to establish the key business strategies, form a new investor base, raise nearly $50M dollars and hire a management team with over 200 years of combined diagnostic experience. Bringing strategic clarity, defining a roadmap for growth, acquiring and retaining talent and gaining investor confidence have been key responsibilities during TJ’s tenure with HTG.

In this role TJ has driven the optimization and extension of HTG’s core technology into new products such as the HTG EDGE automation platform allowing the company to compete in the fast growing personalized healthcare, diagnostic/clinical application markets. Laser focus on key markets, targeted investments in people and products, aggressive cash management and a fiercely competitive culture are crucial core competencies established through-out the company.

Prior to joining HTG Molecular TJ spent five years as a SVP for Ventana Medical Systems now Roche Tissue Diagnostics. During his tenure with Ventana TJ held positions responsible for Operations, World Wide Marketing, Corporate Development, Quality and Product Support. As an officer of the company TJ was instrumental in driving a culture of accountability that led to high growth and a 10x increase in shareholder value.

Prior to Ventana TJ held positions of increasing responsibility in Hillenbrand Industries, a $2B corporation headquartered in Batesville, IN. TJ was VP of Global Marketing, VP/GM of Hill-Rom Airshields, VP of Operations and VP of Continuous Improvement and Strategic Planning during his 12 years with the corporation.

TJ also spent five years as a senior consultant with Price Waterhouse working out of the Cincinnati office. TJ gained a diverse set of skills working across numerous industries and with numerous management teams.

TJ is a member of SALC (Southern Arizona Leadership Council) including a founding member of the BioScience Steering Committee and an active angel investor through the Tucson Desert Angels.

Robert Johnston

Lt. General (Retired)USMC

Lieutenant General Johnston was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and immigrated to the United States when he was 18 years old. He graduated from San Diego State College in 1961 with a degree in English and in 1973 received his MBA from United States International University in San Diego.

Upon becoming a US citizen in 1961, he joined the US Marine Corps as an infantry officer. He served two tours in Vietnam followed by a number of assignments in both staff and command. As a Lieutenant Colonel he commanded the Marine Battalion that deployed to Beirut Lebanon in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. His battalion evacuated Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Army and remained in a peacekeeping role following the withdrawal of the Israeli forces.

During the Persian Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait he was the Chief of Staff to General Norman Schwarzkopf. Following that assignment he commanded 50,000 Marines at Camp Pendleton California and in 1992 commanded the US multinational force in Somalia. He was subsequently assigned as the Marine Corps’ Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, after which he commanded 50,000 Marines at Camp Lejeune North Carolina. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1995.

Johnston served for three years as executive director of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Dec 2000 –Feb 2003
President, WesternGeco
WesternGeco, formed by merging Western Geophysical and Geco-Prakla, it is now a more than a 2 BUSD division of Schlumberger. Research budgets were greater than 120 MUSD/year, www.westerngeco.com

Sept 1997 – Nov 1999
President, Baker Atlas (formerly Western Atlas Logging Services). Western Atlas International, Inc (WAII) was purchased by Baker Hughes Inc in August 1998, when the name of the logging division was changed to Baker Atlas, www.bakeratlas.com

Tom Jones

Mike Kasser

PresidentHolualoa Companies

Mike Kasser is the CEO and President of Holualoa Companies, a real estate investment company with approximately $500 million in residential and commercial real estate in the Southwest, Hawaii and France.

Mr. Kasser started Holualoa in 1985 when he moved to Hawaii with his wife, Beth, after they competed in the Ironman Triathlon. His previous experience includes positions as financial analyst with WR Grace & Co., as President of Technopulp, Inc., a pulp and paper consultant, and as CEO of Booher Lumber Company. As Holualoa grew, the Kassers left Hawaii in 1994 for Tucson.

In addition to his membership in SALC, Mr. Kasser’s community activities have included: Three years as Chairman of the Salary Commission for the County of Hawaii. In addition, he has been a trustee or board member of the University of Arizona Foundation, the University of Arizona College of Science, C-Path Institute, Downtown Tucson Partnership, Arizona Theatre Company, Tucson Museum of Art, American Hungarian Foundation, Kona Hawaii Family YMCA, Aloha Performing Arts Center and the Kasser Art Foundation. His outside business activities have included board memberships of: CyraCom, Inc., a language interpretation company, Protein Sciences, Inc., a biotech company, and West Maricopa Combine, Inc., a water company. He has also served as an Educational Counselor for M.I.T. and as a member of its Corporation Development Committee, and is presently a member of the M.I.T. Music and Theatre Arts Visiting Committee.

Mike has a BS and an MS in Chemical Engineering from M.I.T., a Doctorate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Grenoble (France) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is fluent in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Hungarian. In the past, Mike has completed the Ironman Triathlon eight times. His present hobby is Pre-Columbian Art. The Kassers have two children.

Julie Katsel

Southern Arizona DirectorUnited State Senator Jeff Flake

Julie is the Southern Arizona Director for United States Senator Jeff Flake. Her office is responsible for Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties. Prior to joining Senator Flake’s staff, Julie worked for 17 years on Senator Jon Kyl’s Tucson staff and for Congressman Jim Kolbe in Washington D.C. Julie is a 2014 Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow. Julie focuses her volunteer efforts on Scouting, where she is a Cub Scout den leader, a Boy Scout troop committee member, and a member of the Catalina Council Board of Directors. Julie grew up in Tucson and is a proud University of Arizona graduate. Julie and her husband David live in Catalina with their four children.

B.A., Political Science, University of Arizona,
M.S., Computer Information Systems, University of Phoenix

Thomas W. Keating

PresidentTrailhead Ventures

Mr. Thomas Keating is a 38 year security professional, having worked in virtually every position at American Protective Services, a family owned security service contracting company. Mr. Keating became President, CEO and Chair in 1977 and sold the business on January 1, 2000. At that time the business had 19,000 employees operating from 80 offices nationwide, and produced a revenue of $425 million.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, Mr. Keating’s avocation since 1982 has been raising purebred Gelbvieh bulls. He and his wife, Irene “Reenie,” own two ranches in northern California. They sold the herd in December, 2008, and Mr. Keating now owns and operates the Catalina Mart chains in Tucson.

Mr. Keating is a business man, investor, philanthropist and volunteer. The University of Arizona is his principal philanthropic target, and his children are his investment partners.

Mr. Keating’s active affiliations include the University of Arizona Foundation — Investment Committee & Executive Committee; University of Arizona Bio5—Board of Directors & Chair of Development; University of Arizona Alumni Board of Directors—Past Chair; Desert Angels—Member; heavily involved all over University of Arizona campus.

Mr. Keating’s interests include his family’s golden retriever, working in the family enterprise, travel, developing & building things, and continued learning of almost anything!

Todd Keller

Region ManagerGranite Construction

Todd Keller is Vice President and Southwest Regional Manager for Granite Construction Company. Granite is one of the nation’s largest infrastructure contractors with average annual revenue over $2 billion and 14 regional offices nationwide. Granite’s Southwest Region has annual revenue of over $100 million.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors of Arizona, his other affiliations include: Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Society of American Military Engineers, Arizona Rock Products Association and Arizona Transportation Builders Association (formerly TUCA).

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Todd moved to Arizona in 1989 to attend Northern Arizona University. After graduating with a BS in Construction Management, he began his professional career as a Project Engineer with Granite. For the following decade, he estimated and managed construction of many diverse projects in Arizona; from industrial work for mines in Morenci and Globe to developing the Kino and 36th Street Park for the City of Tucson to reconstructing La Cholla from Omar to Magee for Pima County.

In 2004, Todd and his family moved to New Zealand where he took on the role of Construction Manager for Fulton Hogan, Ltd, a large heavy-civil contractor based in Christchurch. A highlight of his work there was participating in construction of New Zealand’s largest transportation project – the Northern Gateway Extension, a $350 million design-build highway extension north of Auckland.

In 2008, he returned home to Granite and Tucson to manage construction of tactical infrastructure along the US/Mexico border including border fence from California to west Texas. At one time, over 700 staff were deployed to several remote projects under Todd’s supervision. From completion of that effort in 2010 to his promotion to Regional Manager, he served as Project Executive, responsible for pursuit and construction of large, design-build or technically challenging projects in Arizona and New Mexico, including the award winning design-build SR202 HOV widening from I-10 east to Gilbert Road in Chandler.

As Regional Manager, Todd firmly believes in continuously improving Granite’s industry leading levels of integrity, performance and quality. Granite employs a local workforce of 300 staff, from laborers to equipment operators, carpenters, engineers and managers. Todd thoroughly enjoys training and ultimately promoting craft employees into salaried management positions. Providing employment and opportunity for career development are some of his key personal drivers. A recent career highlight was successfully completing construction of Tucson’s newest landmark project, the Tucson Modern Streetcar.

Chuck Kill

CEO (retired)Bedmart

Mr. Kill is a former CEO of Bedmart, a 29 store mattress retailer in Arizona. Bedmart’s owner, Chet Goldberg, started Bedmart in 1988 with one store. Bedmart currently has 29 stores. Chet hired Chuck in 2003 as Chief Financial Officer and promoted Chuck to CEO in 2004. Even though Phoenix is one of the most competitive markets in the country, during his first 3 years, Bedmart has had an average annual sales growth rate of 33% per year. Bedmart has grown to the point where they currently sell more mattresses than any other retailer in Arizona.

Chuck is Chairman of the Finance and Bond Committee for the town of Oro Valley and on the Board of Directors for the Western Home Furnishings Association.

Chuck has been in retailing since 1976 and the mattress retailing industry since 1999, when he joined Sleep Country USA as Chief Financial Officer. As CFO, Chuck assisted the CEO in the sale of Sleep Country USA to Fenway Partners, as well as the acquisition of the 23 Northwest stores of Sleep Train. Chuck also led the implementation of GERS at Sleep Country USA.

Chuck has a Bachelors degree in Accountancy and has earned his MBA from Northern Illinois University, as well as his CPA Certificate in Illinois.

Eileen Klein

PresidentArizona Board of Regents

With more than twenty years of strategic fiscal and executive management experience in the public and private sector, Eileen Klein is uniquely positioned in her role as president of the Arizona Board of Regents to help Arizona’s public universities achieve critical goals to transform Arizona’s economy.

Ms. Klein oversees the $4 billion Arizona public university enterprise – Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. She manages the Enterprise Executive Committee (EEC), comprised of the university presidents, which is responsible for achieving the ambitious 2020 goals outlined in the Board of Regent’s strategic plan that calls for significant gains in degree production and research activity, and major reforms in both the instructional delivery model and financing of the university system to support and stimulate Arizona’s economy.

Previous to joining the Board, Ms. Klein was chief of staff for Governor Brewer. Taking the helm in the midst of a severe financial crisis, Klein was instrumental in charting Arizona’s path to recovery. Klein refocused the state’s efforts on economic competitiveness and in just two years led the state out of a multibillion dollar budget shortfall through significant budget, tax and regulatory reforms resulting in a positive cash balance.

Klein also helped launch Arizona Ready, an education reform plan to align statewide education goals across the P-20 spectrum and played a critical role in spearheading Governor Brewer’s transformational health care reform plan, enabling the state to modernize Medicaid and behavioral health programs while reducing costs, improving care and preserving the safety net for Arizonans in need.

Klein has also served as chief operating officer and as vice president of state affairs for Arizona Physicians IPA by United Healthcare.

Ms. Klein received her bachelor of arts in French and business from Florida State University
and a master of public administration from Arizona State University.

Rosey Koberlein

CEOLong Companies

Chief Executive Officer Rosey Koberlein oversees leadership and strategic planning for all the Long Companies, including Brokerage, Mortgage, Title and Insurance. With more than 25 years of real estate experience, Rosey has served in branch and senior management positions within Long Realty Company since 1991.

Prior to joining Long Realty Company, Rosey served as a branch manager at Mason McDuffie Financial Corporation in Northern California and Director of Employment and Training programs for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Rosey received her Masters of Public Administration from Kent State University and is a Certified Residential Broker.

Rosey plays an active role in the Tucson community. She has served on the board of directors for the Tucson Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (TAR/MLS), the Carondelet Foundation and Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board. Rosey currently co-chairs the Southern Arizona Leadership Council P-20 Education Committee.

She is currently a member of the Tucson Airport Authority, a Board Member of Pima County Real Estate Research Council and a member of the Women at the Top (WATT).

In addition to her local commitments, Rosey frequently speaks at national levels on topics ranging from real estate to mortgage and title issues. In 2004, Rosey was awarded by Tucson Association of REALTORS® for her outstanding service, and in 2005, was recognized as one of Tucson’s “Women of Influence” by Inside Tucson Business. In 2013, Rosey was recognized as the “200 Most Powerful People in Residential Real Estate in 2013” and “The Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Residential Real Estate” by Swanepoel. In 2014, Rosey was featured in the article, “Women Who Lead,” 2014 Summer Edition by BizTucson.

Chad Kolodisner

Executive Vice PresidentDiamond Ventures

Chad Kolodisner joined Diamond Ventures in 2004. He is responsible for implementing the Company’s strategic plan and operational priorities. He leads company negotiations with strategic partners, including structuring ventures and dispositions. Additionally, Chad oversees new real estate acquisitions and investments in growth companies. Chad has 18 years’ experience in real estate transactions with an emphasis on master-planned communities and serves as the primary contact for the Company’s Rocking K, Saddleback Heights and Verano developments. In addition to his experience as an attorney with private law firms, Chad worked with Del Webb and Pulte Homes in Phoenix. He received his finance degree from Arizona State University and his juris doctorate degree from Harvard Law School.

Garrett Kowalewski

Founder & OwnerStaff Matters

Garrett Kowalewski is the President & CEO of Staff Matters, Inc. Originally an engineering student, Garrett holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. Founded in 2010, in less than 4 years Garrett and his team grew Staff Matters to become Southern Arizona’s largest recruiting and staffing firm, and by far the largest locally owned recruiting and staffing firm in Southern Arizona. Garrett began his career in technical recruiting and staffing in 1999 and progressed through the roles of technical recruiter (4 years), onsite manager (1 year) and branch manager (6 years). In 2010 Garrett went on to found Staff Matters, Inc. While Staff Matters handles technical, professional, administrative & light industrial recruiting services, Garrett directly manages only the technical and professional recruiting services division.

Steve Lace

Executive Vice PresidentRoyal Automotive Group

Steve Lace is Executive Vice President of Royal Automotive Group & Lexus of Tucson. Lace is Past President of the Tucson new Car Dealers Association. He is a Board Member of TREO and a member of The Carondelet Neurological Institute Board of Advisors.

Previously, Lace was President of the Tucson New Car Dealer Association.

Lace is a former Board Member of the Tucson Medical Center Foundation.

John Lai

President & CEOMister Car Wash

As President and Chief Executive Officer, John Lai has companywide responsibility for operations, marketing, finance, accounting, and human resources. During his tenure with Mister Car Wash, John has also served as President & COO and Vice President of Market Development. John graduated from the University of Arizona in 1987.

Prior to his career with Mister Car Wash, John was vice president of FinanCenter Inc., president of Blue Coral Systems Inc., and held a variety of management positions with Nestle SA and Carnation.

John has served on the board of the International Car Wash and Western Car Wash Associations. John leads the organizational vision as Mister Car Wash continues its expansion into a nationally recognized brand and industry leader.

Lee Lambert

ChancellorPima Community College

Current position: Chancellor, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona

Previous positions:
• President, Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, Wash. Length of service: June 9, 2006-present
• Vice President for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, Shoreline Community College, January 2005-June 2006
• Vice President for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, Centralia College, Centralia, Wash.
• Special Assistant to the President for Civil Rights and Legal Affairs at The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash.
• Instructor, The Evergreen State College, teaching courses on Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice and Employment Law.
• Worked in a number of governmental agencies

Education:
• Juris Doctor degree, Seattle University School of Law
• Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash.

Other:
• Recipient, Pacific Region 2009 Chief Executive Officer Award from the Association of Community College Trustees.
• Speaker at national and international conferences, most recently the International Conference on Community Colleges, and the American Association of Community Colleges’ 20th Annual Workforce Development Institute on “The Keys to Collaboration: K-12 and workforce relationships.”
• Member, Washington State Bar Association
• U.S. Army veteran. Born in Korea, grew up on three continents. Graduated from high school in the Olympia, Wash., area.

Taylor Lawrence

PresidentRaytheon Missile Systems

Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence is a Raytheon Company vice president and president of its Missile Systems business, a position he assumed in July 2008. Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN), with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

Headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., Missile Systems has locations in California, New Mexico, Kentucky and Arkansas. Its broad portfolio of weapon systems supports every mission area of its customers, including air-to-air, land combat, naval weapons, strike weapons, missile defense, guided projectiles, and directed energy systems. The business continually develops and invests in new, innovative technologies to provide rapid, high-quality, affordable mission capability to its customers. With a workforce of 12,500 employees and 2007 sales of $5.0 billion, Raytheon Missile Systems is the world’s leading producer of weapon systems for the United States military and the allied forces of more than 50 countries.

Prior to leading Raytheon Missile Systems, Dr. Lawrence served as Raytheon’s vice president of Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance. In that role he guided the company’s vision and provided corporate leadership in the strategic areas of technology and research, engineering, operations, performance excellence, Raytheon Six Sigma™and Mission Assurance, which include 45, 000 world-class people working on more than 8,000 programs.

Prior to Raytheon, Dr. Lawrence was sector vice president and general manager of the C4ISR & Space Sensors division for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. He joined Northrop Grumman in March 1999 as vice president of Products and Technology for the company’s Systems Development & Technology division. He was promoted to sector vice president and general manager of that division in August 2001.

Before joining Northrop Grumman, Dr. Lawrence served as the staff director for the Select Committee on Intelligence for the U.S. Senate and , previously, as deputy director of the Information Systems Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He also held a variety of scientific and research leadership positions, including deputy program leader of the Advanced Imaging, Imaging & Detection Program of the Lasers Directorate at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; senior staff scientist of the Research & Development division of Trex Enterprises; and research assistant and undergraduate research fellow in the physics department at the California Institute of Technology.

Dr. Lawrence holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in applied physics from Stanford University. He earned his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford in 1992. Dr. Lawrence is vice chairman of the Air Force Studies Board of the National Academies and serves as an advisor to the Defense Science Board and Defense Policy Board. He is also a lifetime member f the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 1996, Dr. Lawrence was honored with the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service.

Alan Levin

OwnerPort of Tucson/Century Park Research Ctr

In 2001, founded Port of Tucson, LLC, which has now expanded to approximately 52,000 ft of railroad infrastructure. Port of Tucson, LLC is the intermodal and logistics center assisting businesses with access to rail and intermodal container transportation options and has industrial product customers throughout Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico.

In 1996, purchased 264 acres of undeveloped land near Valencia & Kolb Rd, known as Century Park Research Center, and developed a commercial business center for warehousing, distribution and manufacturing facilities. These facilities are based around the intermodal rail system and trucking lanes neighboring the research center near south Kolb and Wilmot roads. I currently own and lease out approximately 1.9 million sq ft of commercial buildings. Century Park Research Center has now expanded to approximately 780 acres.

In 1991, built and founded Tucson Frozen Storage, LLC – a frozen storage warehouse facility, designed for customers moving frozen product in, out and through the Southwest. The Tucson Frozen Storage facility has since increased from initial 12,500 sq ft to current 90,000 sq ft.

In 1988, purchased 27 acres (1.5 miles) of undeveloped land in downtown Tucson and developed approximately 265,000 sq ft of commercial buildings, which I currently own and lease out. This industrial park is known as Cushing Business Center.

In July 1981, started my own General Contracting business called Levin & Sons, LLC. I specialize in industrial buildings. Over the past 27 years I have built approximately 150 buildings with the maximum size of 360,000 sq ft, the majority of them in the Tucson area.

Studied Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University. Spent summers working for Levin & Sons, Inc. Graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Worked with a research project involving the design and fabrication of a supersonic wind tunnel. Recognition for this work was an award from the Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation and a trip to the 1968 American Society of Mechanical Engineers National Convention in New York City. Was accepted into Pi Tau Sigma, a National Honorary Society during my senior year.

Lisa Lovallo

Market Vice President for Southern ArizonaCox Communications

Ms. Lovallo grew up in Tucson and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. At the UA Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in English, was the Student Body Vice President and played on the Arizona’s Women’s basketball team.

After graduation, Ms. Lovallo worked for Procter & Gamble in the Los Angeles market. During her tenure at P&G, Lisa held several management positions in the Heath Care and Paper Products Divisions of the Company.

In 1992, Ms. Lovallo left P&G to start her own business, North American Enterprises. Lisa spent 14 years building and growing a successful international import and export business, comprised of over 20 European manufacturers and eighty (80) food service and grocery distributors throughout the US market. In 2004, Lisa was instrumental in the sale of the Company’s key brands to an Italian manufacturer in Northern Italy.

After the sale of North American Enterprises, Ms. Lovallo began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the U of A’s Eller College of Management and worked as the Director of Student Advancement and Development in the UA’s Student Affairs Division. During her tenure at the U of A, Lovallo also ran for the Arizona State Legislature and served on numerous non-profit Boards in Tucson.

In 2008, Ms. Lovallo was named the Vice President and System Manager for Cox Communications, Southern Arizona. At COX, Ms. Lovallo is responsible for all the Southern Arizona business, public affairs and community relations functions in both Pima and Cochise Counties. In addition to her responsibilities at COX, Ms. Lovallo serves on 10 community boards including TREO, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the DM50, the Downtown Tucson Partnership, and the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Lisa is also a trustee of San Miguel High School and on the Advisory Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Ms. Lovallo was recently named “Woman of the Year” for 2010 by the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce. She has also been named “A Woman of Influence” by Inside Tucson Business, a “Woman on the Move” by the YWCA and was given the “Spirit of Philanthropy” Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for her outstanding contributions to the Southern Arizona community.

Steve Lynn

Chief Strategy OfficerStrongpoint Marketing

Steve serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Strongpoint Marketing. Prior to this, Steve was Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at both UNS Energy Corporation and Tucson Electric Power Company. In that capacity, he was responsible for positioning both UNS Energy and TEP with regulators, customers and the greater community. He was responsible for customer service, corporate communications, consumer relations, community affairs and government relations for both UNS Energy and TEP. Steve joined UNS Energy and TEP in 2000.

From February to August, 2005, Steve also served as the Interim President and CEO of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO). This regional economic development organization is a joint venture of city/county governments and the business community in eastern Pima County.

Prior to joining UNS Energy and TEP, he spent sixteen years as CEO and owner-partner at Nordensson Lynn & Associates, Inc., one of Arizona’s leading marketing communications firms based in Tucson. In 1994, Steve was named Tucson’s Advertising Professional of the Year by the Tucson Advertising Federation.

Steve is a graduate of The University of Arizona and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Communications. In 2007, he was presented with the “Distinguished Citizen” Award by The University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. And in 2009, Steve received a Doctor of Letters degree (Honoris Causa) from The UofA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Education.

Active in the community, Steve serves as Chairman of The University of Arizona Health Network, Chairman of The UofA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Advisory, Board, Past Chairman of Arizona’s First Independent Redistricting Commission (2001-2011), Past-Chairman of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, Past-Chairman, and current board member, of the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board (First Things First), and Past-Chairman of Southern Arizona Leadership Council Board of Directors. He was honored as Tucson’s 2007 “Man of the Year” by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and was named the 2008 Arizona Capitol Times’ Leader of the Year in Volunteerism.

His many other civic activities, both past and present, include board memberships on the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Service Corporation, Downtown Development Corporation, University Physicians Healthcare, and the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. He is also a member of the DM – 50 support group, and was a founding board member of the Science Foundation Arizona.

Steve and his wife, Nancy (a retired high school guidance counselor), have been married since 1969 and have two adult daughters. One is a paramedic pre-hospital specialist at Northwest Hospital in Tucson, and the other is the Talent Supervisor on the popular syndicated television shows, ‘Dr. Phil’ with psychologist Phil McGraw, and ‘The Doctors’. He has lived in Tucson since 1964.

Steve’s more than forty years of experience, as well as his many recognized accomplishments, make him an exceptional consultant in the areas of:

Clint Mabie

President & CEOCommunity Foundation for Southern AZ

J. Clinton Mabie joined the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona as President and CEO in May of 2010. Mr. Mabie started his career in the nonprofit sector in 1992 after jobs in advertising and commercial real estate. During his nonprofit career, he served as Director of Development of The Golden Apple Foundation, founder of the Center of Teaching and Learning which teaches educators how to incorporate technology into the classroom, and was a high school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Most recently, Clint served as Director of Donor Services and Program Development at the Chicago Community Trust. During his tenure, donations increased from $15 million to $90 million annually and grants from donors increased from $1 million to over $45 million annually. Clint also created the Trust’s Poverty Initiative, Return on Chicago and raised over $20 million in funding.

Mr. Mabie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master of Management from J.L Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University.

Clint currently serves as a board member of the Tucson Values Teachers, and Arizona Grantmakers Association, and is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Tucson Regional Economic Organization. He has served on nonprofit boards for over 20 years including, The Community Mental Health Council, National-Louis University and the Chicago District Golf Association. Clint is married to Debi and has three children, Chess, Clark and Martha.

Kevin Madden

CEOMadden Media

A model entrepreneur, Kevin Madden founded Madden Publishing in 1982, growing the company and eventually creating Madden Media, one of the tourism industry’s most dynamic print and electronic tourism publishing entities. With a keen eye for changing markets, industry development, and business potential, Kevin continues to guide Madden Media’s growth and offers his unsurpassed business acumen on our clients’ behalf.

Two-time winner of the Copper Cactus “Best Place to Work” Award.

Organizations include Centurions, and Founder of the Copper Cactus Awards.

Jill Malick

As a Business Banking Manager for Wells Fargo in Southern Arizona, Jill Malick is responsible for Business Banking activities in Tucson and Nogales, overseeing a team of business bankers.

Malick began her career at Wells Fargo in 2002 as a Senior Relationship Manager and was promoted to Business Banking Manager in 2006. She is a member of the Tucson Metro Chamber Board of Directors. Malick also serves the community as a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity Tucson, and the operations advisor for a student organization at the University of Arizona. She also serves as co-chair for the Wells Fargo Southern Arizona Community Advisory Board. Previously, Malick served as chairman of the housing committee for Wells Fargo Volunteers and was a board member for the Junior League of Tucson, Inc. She has been honored with several awards, including a Wells Fargo Sales and Service Excellence Award.

Malick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The American University in Washington, DC. She resides in Tucson.

Dewey Manzer

Chairman & CEOInstant BioScan, LLC

Deward (Dewey) Manzer has over thirty years experience as a senior executive in technology businesses. Manzer is Chairman and CEO of Instant BioScan, Inc, a supplier of microbial monitoring instruments for water. He is a director on the Board of Community Provider of Enrichment Services (CPES), a care giver for people with developmental disabilities and behavioral health problems. He served previously as chairman of the boards of CPES, BioVigilant Systems, and Arete Associates.

Manzer was President and CEO of BioVigilant Systems, Inc., a leader in bringing bacteria detection technology to the pharmaceutical industry. Manzer was the President and CEO of Moltech Corporation, the largest North American supplier of rechargeable batteries for portable electronics. Manzer was Chairman, President and CEO of Vanguard Automation, Inc., the leading supplier to Intel of semiconductor packaging equipment for ball grid arrays. Manzer served as President and COO of publicly traded GTECH Corporation, the leading lottery system provider to state and international governments.

Manzer was also President and CEO of Chemco Photoproducts and Executive Vice President of Compugraphic Corporation. He served for eighteen-years with Honeywell Corporation reaching the position of Vice President and General Manager of the Large Computer Products Division developing and manufacturing mainframe computers and software.

Edmund Marquez

Agency OwnerThe Edmund Marquez Allstate Agencies

Edmund Marquez owns three Allstate Insurance Agencies in Tucson, Arizona. He is the largest captive insurance agency in Southern Arizona, and the second largest Hispanic-owned Allstate agency in the U.S. Edmund was born and raised in Tucson, attended Sabino High School (Hall of Fame inductee in 2013), and earned a Bachelors in Communications from the University of Arizona. He currently serves on eight Boards of Directors, including The Tucson Hispanic Chamber, the Metro YMCA, Pima Community College Foundation, Jewish Family Children Services and more. He is also a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) and the Davis Monthan AFB 50. He was the Businessman of the Year in 2004, and awarded the Breath of Life Award in 2012. Edmund is an avid cyclist, and rides with the Jim Click Racing Team.

Ross McCallister, Jr.

PrincipalMC Companies

Ross graduated from New Mexico State University in 1975. He began his career as President of a savings and loan association in Gallup, NM from 1976 to 1983, when he moved to Tucson to work for a real estate development firm. In 1985 Ross started the McCallister Company to build, invest and manage apartment communities. In 2001 he partnered with Ken McElroy to form MC Companies. They have built over 5,000 units in Tucson and currently own 8,000 units in 10 cities in Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma.

In addition to his membership in SALC, Ross serves on the Board of Directors of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Ross has been married to his wife, Patty, for over 40 years and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. He enjoys cycling, hiking, skiing, learning and traveling.

Derek McCann

General ManagerLoews Ventana Canyon

General Manager, Derek H. McCann, is responsible for all operations of Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. A seasoned professional with nearly two decades of management experience at hotels and resorts across the US, McCann oversees all aspects of the AAA 4 Diamond resort.

Prior to his arrival in Tucson, McCann was Vice-President & Hotel Manager of the 2,882 room Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, located in Nashville, Tennessee. That was the last of three positions he held over 10 years at two Gaylord resorts, another including Director of Rooms at Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. During his time in Nashville, McCann was actively involved on the boards of University of Tennessee’s School of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management, as well as with Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee.

Since arriving in Tucson, McCann has become an active member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association as well as the Board for the Southern Arizona Lodging & Resort Association.

McCann got his start in hotels and hospitality in 1997 as an Assistant Front Office Manager of the Sheraton Gateway at Los Angeles International Airport. Born and raised in Scotland, McCann earned a degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University in 1996. Derek is married to his wife of 17 years, Erika and has twins Erik and Sabrina.

Robert McCright

Fletcher McCusker

CEOSinfonia HealthCare Corp.

An entrepreneur and a contrarian, Fletcher McCusker has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, which he attributes to creating opportunities for luck to happen and surrounding himself with smart people.

A native Tucsonan and a graduate of the University of Arizona, he attended graduate school at Arizona State University after being turned down by the UA. At the ripe old age of 46 he decided he had enough of working for other people and followed a well known route for developing his own company: his money, friend’s money, venture capital, mezzanine funds and ultimately a very successful public offering.

He has returned much to the community; serving on the boards of the Eller School and the Social and Behavioral Sciences College, the YMCA, St. Gregory School, The Metro Chamber, TREO and participates in numerous charitable causes. His company Providence relocated the company headquarters to downtown in May of 2010, then a billion dollar a year business, remodeling an entire city block of abandoned buildings. Since then Fletcher has been very active in downtown revitalization; as a Chairman’s circle member of TREO, as a board member of The Downtown Tucson Partnership and as a co-founder of Second Saturdays Downtown.

He was also Chairman of the Board of the Fox Theatre Foundation and is credited with the current successful turnaround of the Fox and was appointed to the Rio Nuevo board in June of 2012 by the President of the Senate and unanimously elected Chairman by his fellow board members. He announced his retirement from Providence at the end of 2012 and is now launching a new health care company, located, where else but, in an abandoned warehouse in downtown Tucson.

Fletcher is a pilot, a Harley rider, an avid skier, a father of Tyler, husband of Liz (CEO of Tu Nidito Children and Family Services) and a great friend of Tucson.

Tom McGovern

P.E., PrincipalPSOMAS

Tom is Vice President and Regional Manager of Psomas, a leading consulting firm offering professional services in civil engineering, water resources, transportation planning and engineering, traffic engineering, environmental, land planning, construction management, and land surveying. In 1985 he co-founded the Tucson engineering firm of McGovern, MacVittie, Lodge & Associates (MMLA), taking it through its merger with Psomas in 2004. He is a Principal in the firm and has served on the Psomas Board of Directors.

Tom, who is a member of the SALC Board and co-Chair of its Infrastructure Focus Area, has been actively involved in both the community and his profession. He is currently Vice Chair of the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was chair of the Pima Association of Government’s (PAG) 2030 Regional Transportation Plan Update Task Force. He then served on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Regional Transportation Authority, during the successful campaign to enact Pima County’s regional sales tax for transportation.

His work on regional transportation issues was recognized by the PAG Governing Board when they presented him with the inaugural Thomas L. Swanson Regional Leadership Award in 2004. Currently, Tom is Vice Chair of PAG’s Economic Vitality Advisory Committee.

Among his numerous professional activities, Tom is a Past-President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona, and is a Past President of the Arizona Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, with whom he has achieved the grade of Fellow.

Tom has been heavily involved in supporting the University of Arizona’s College of Engineering, serving on its Industry Partners Board. He has also remained connected to his home department, the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department (CEEM), participating on committees to assist with accreditation, reviewing curriculum, organizing and raising funds for CEEM’s centennial celebration, and chairing the department’s Alumni-Industry Council. He is a regular guest lecturer for CE courses and is currently part of a group of practitioners who organized and continues to teach a novel bridge design course that received a 2009 Engineering Award from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). His commitment to the University has been recognized by his receipt of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the UA Alumni Association, as well as the Distinguished Alumni Award from the CEEM Department.

A rare Tucson native, Tom grew up here in a family of boys (six – only one sister!). Since then, it’s been all girls — he and his wife of 42 years, Lorene, have two daughters, both living here in Tucson. Shannon is a PhD Psychologist and Meghan is a Biomedical Engineer – Girls Rule!

David Mehl

PresidentCottonwood Properties, Inc.

David Mehl is the President of Cottonwood Properties, a Tucson-based real estate development company. Since 1975, Cottonwood has developed over $800 million of real estate projects in Southern Arizona. Cottonwood’s major activity has been the planning and development of large-scale residential communities.

Cottonwood (or affiliated entities) is currently developing the 6,200-acre Dove Mountain community in Marana, Arizona, northwest of Tucson and has been doing so since the mid 1980’s. Cottonwood’s developments within Dove Mountain include the Ritz-Carlton hotel, the Dove Mountain Golf Club with a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, numerous residential developments with over 3,500 homes, several apartment communities, and a neighborhood shopping center. Cottonwood is currently developing The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton (approx. 200+ luxury homes with resort related services) on 850 acres within Dove Mountain.

Cottonwood is also the developer of the 800 acre La Paloma Community in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being the master developer, Cottonwood developed the 487 room Westin La Paloma destination resort hotel and the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course.

Cottonwood also developed 600+ acres of residential land in Rita Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, and has developed several other residential communities in the greater Tucson area.

In addition to community development activities, Cottonwood has developed and owned numerous apartment, retail, office and housing developments.

Mr. Mehl graduated from the University of Arizona in 1972 and received a Masters degree from the University of Illinois in 1975. He is past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pima County Real Estate Research Council, a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and a full member of the Urban Land Institute, serving on its Community Development Council.

David and Bonnie were actively involved in the creation of the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy and David served on the school board for 14 years, 8 years as chair. David is also on the board of Good News Communications, which operates for Christian radio stations in Southern Arizona.

David has been married to his wife Bonnie for 40 years and has two sons, Wesley and Carson.

Patrick Merrin

Vice President, Arizona Business UnitHudbay Minerals

Pat Merrin is leader of the Arizona Business Unit, responsible for Hudbay’s strategic initiatives in the region and development of the Rosemont copper project, acquired by Hudbay in the summer of 2014. Pat will be responsible for managing human and capital resources and ensuring corporate standards are met in environmental management, health and safety performance, and community relations and for identifying growth opportunities for Hudbay in the western United States. Pat developed a strong operating background over the course of his career in Canada and internationally, taking on a variety of progressively senior roles at Hudbay and at mining and metals companies including Xstrata Nickel, Lucas Milhaupt and Adex Mining. Pat holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) degree from McGill University. He has been a member of Professional Engineers of Ontario since 1997.

Francie Merryman

Senior Wealth Strategist & Vice PresidentNorthern Trust Company

Francie is a Vice President and Senior Wealth Strategist in the Tucson Catalina Foothills Office of the Northern Trust Company. Francie works with clients and prospects to articulate their goals around four areas – lifestyle, capital, family and philanthropy. She then determines the best team from our integrated group of wealth management experts to fulfill those goals. Francie works with wealthy individuals, privately held companies, professionals and not for profits in Tucson, Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico.

Francie joined Northern in 1992 as a Commercial Loan Officer. After leading the Commercial Lending & Banking Groups for 8 years, Francie switched to her current role leading the Wealth Strategies Group in May 2000. Prior to joining Northern, Francie was an Assistant Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer at Citibank (Arizona) from 1988 to 1992. Prior to that, she was a partner and business manager of a commercial photography studio in Tucson, AZ.

Francie holds a B.S. in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Arizona. Both degrees were awarded with highest distinction. Francie is Series 7 and 66 licensed and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional.

Francie is on the board of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO), attended TREO Leadership Exchanges to Austin, TX in 2006; Portland, OR in 2007; Albuquerque, NM in 2009; Huntsville, AL in 2011 and San Diego, CA in 2012. She is a member and Past President of the Breakfast Club of Tucson and a member of Tucson’s Leading Women in Business, Women Impacting Tucson and TIEMPO. Francie is a member of the executive board of Arizona Town Hall and attended the Fall 2005 Arizona Town Hall: Maximizing Arizona’s Competitiveness in Bioscience and Biotechnology; the Spring 2007 Tucson Regional Town Hall; the Spring 2008 Arizona Town Hall: Who Will Teach Our Children?; Spring 2010 Arizona Town Hall: Building Arizona’s Future: Jobs, Innovation & Competitiveness and the Spring 2013 Town Hall: Is Higher Education Ready for Arizona’s Future?. She is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, Tucson Airport Authority, Imagine Greater Tucson – Regional Leadership Council, Western Art Patrons of the Tucson Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art and the Mountain Oyster Club (1st female member). Francie was the last Chairman of the Board of the Greater Tucson Economic Council (1 of 2 women to ever hold that title).

In 1999, Francie was inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame of the Karl Eller Center and Berger Entrepreneurship Program – University of Arizona for Outstanding Achievement in Business Development – Corporate Institution. In 2006, Francie was named a Woman of Influence by Inside Tucson Business Magazine. In the January 2010, “Best of Tucson” issue of Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, Francie was featured in the “Up Front” section.

When not working, Francie can be found hiking in the Sky Islands of Southern Arizona, foxhunting in Maryland with her siblings or skiing in Switzerland with her sons.

Dennis Minano

Vice ChairSonoran Institute

Dennis R. Minano is a former senior automotive executive and current consultant in environmental, energy, governance, and transportation infrastructure strategies. He serves as a board member, trustee, executive leader and senior advisor to companies, non-profit organizations, economic development organizations and health care institutions. This follows a career at General Motors, where he served as Vice president of Public Policy, Chief Environmental Officer and Vice President of Communications. At GM, he implemented cutting edge environmental and energy policies for its products and plants. He was responsible for GM’s Public Policy Center, a consolidation of Environmental and Energy, Government Relations, Diversity, Corporate affairs, and the office of the Chief Economist. Earlier in his career, in GM’s Office of the General Counsel, he managed high-risk legal matters that impacted product decisions. Mr. Minano holds a Juris Doctor degree and is a member of various Federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and was an adjunct Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Detroit Law School.”

Omar Mireles

HSL Properties is a real estate investment firm with a focus on apartment investment, development and management. It’s the largest apartment-community owner and operator in Southern Arizona.

Omar Mireles manages the company’s property portfolio, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and development. HSL is answering the economic demand for more rental housing with the development of three new luxury energy-efficient apartment communities. Mireles believes that the social and economic vitality of our community depends on growth and diversification of the area’s employment base and to achieve this it’s essential to have a unified voice promoting Tucson.

He’s on the board of directors of Arizona Multihousing Association, Salpointe Catholic High School and Tu Nidito Children and Family Services. He’s a member of Tucson Airport Authority and Tucson Conquistadores. HSL Properties is a real estate investment firm with a focus on apartment investment, development and management. It’s the largest apartment-community owner and operator in Southern Arizona. Omar Mireles manages the company’s property portfolio, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and development. HSL is answering the economic demand for more rental housing with the development of three new luxury energy-efficient apartment communities. Mireles believes that the social and economic vitality of our community depends on growth and diversification of the area’s employment base and to achieve this it’s essential to have a unified voice promoting Tucson. He’s on the board of directors of Arizona Multihousing Association, Salpointe Catholic High School and Tu Nidito Children and Family Services. He’s a member of Tucson Airport Authority and Tucson Conquistadores.

Mark Mistler

President, So. ArizonaBBVA Compass Bank

After growing up in Tucson, Mark attended the University of Arkansas where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration in 1984 and received an MBA from Arizona State University in 1986. Mark played football at the University of Arkansas where he was an All Conference wide receiver and Team Captain for the Razorbacks.

Mark has been the President of BBVA Compass Bank for Southern Arizona for the past 15 years. He began his career with Valley National Bank in Phoenix before moving back to Tucson in 1987. Mark worked in various positions with Valley National Bank/Bank One before joining Compass Bank in 1999.

Mark has served on numerous non-profit boards in the Tucson community. He is currently on the National Board of Advisors for the University of Arizona Eller College of Management and serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO), The Diocese of Tucson Catholic Foundation, Our Mother Of Sorrows Parish Endowment Board, and Habitat for Humanity Executive Advisory Board. Mark is a Past Chairman of The Board of the Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce. Other past involvement includes serving on the Boards of the Tucson Parks Foundation, Junior Achievement of Southern Arizona, and Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School. He has also given his time to the Prima Vera Homeless Shelter, United Way of Southern Arizona, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, and St. Vincent DePaul. Mark also coached is son’s youth sports teams for many years.

Ed Moomjian

PartnerRusing, Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC

Edward Moomjian II is a litigation attorney whose practice focuses on Complex Commercial and Employment Litigation, advising companies as to employment law issues, and defense of professionals in Malpractice Litigation. Edward also has substantial experience in both prosecuting and defending class actions, and is a contributing author to the leading class action treatise, NEWBERG ON CLASS ACTIONS (4th ed. 2003). Edward is a former law clerk to Hon. Thomas C. Kleinschmidt of the Arizona Court of Appeals. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked as a Mechanical Engineer in both the aerospace and electronic medical device industries. Edward is ”AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated” through the Martindale Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ Process.

Education & Experience
University of Arizona College of Law (J.D., Order of the Coif, magna cum laude, 1995)
University of Arizona Law Review, Executive Notes Editor (1994 – 1995)
Arizona State University (B.S.M.E., Mechanical Engineering, cum laude, 1992)
Law Clerk to Hon. Thomas C. Kleinschmidt, Arizona Court of Appeals (1995 – 1996)

Community Involvement
Southern Arizona Leadership Council
Volunteer Lawyers Program
Junior Achievement of Arizona, Inc., Board Member (2010-2013)
Former Hearing Officer, Marana Unified School District

Tom Morgan

President & CEOGrayline Tours / Citizen Auto Stage Co.

Tom Morgan serves as president & CEO of Gray Line Tours and Citizen Auto Stage Co. Gray Line is a preferred partner of University of Arizona, Visit Tucson, Accenture Match Play, Fiesta Bowl, Insight Bowl, Bowl Championship Series and the US Open Golf Championship. Tom graduated from Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business, MBA, Summa Cum Laude. He is a Board member of the American Bus Association.

Rick Myers

CEOTempronics, Inc.

Governor Jan Brewer appointed Rick Myers to an eight-year term on the Arizona Board of Regents in January 2010. Myers is currently the chief operating officer of Tempronics, Inc., a manufacturer of high efficiency thermoelectric systems. Prior to joining Tempronics, Myers was the chief operating officer of Critical Path Institute, a non-profit organization that works with the pharmaceutical industry, patient groups, academia and the Food and Drug Administration to tackle significant issues in drug development. Before joining Critical Path Institute, Myers was the general manager of IBM Tucson. He retired from IBM in 2003 after a 25-year career with the company.

Myers is a civic leader in Tucson and across the state. He is a member of the Tucson Airport Authority and co-chaired the Citizens Committee of the Regional Transportation Authority in 2006. He is a current member and past chairman of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council; he chaired the Tucson community-wide United Way campaign in 2001, and is a past board member of the Science Foundation Arizona. In addition, Myers co-developed and taught a graduate course on the management of technology in combined Business, Science and Engineering Colleges at the University of Arizona. He was honored with the Greater Tucson Leadership “Community Leadership Award” in 2004. In 2012, Myers received the “AZBio Public Service Award” from the Arizona BioIndustry Association in recognition of his tireless efforts and advocacy for research, innovation and education in Arizona. His dedication and service to Tucson and Southern Arizona also has been recognized by the Greater Tucson Leadership who named Myers their 2012 Man of the Year.

Myers received his bachelor’s of science degree in engineering from the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 1978. His has been married to his wife Judy for 33 years and has two daughters, Julie Charters and Karen Stine, as well as three grandchildren, Kaylie, Thomas and Sienna.

Dan Neff

PresidentM3 Engineering

M3 Engineering & Technology president Dan Neff is a professional civil & structural engineer and has over 40 years in the consulting engineering business.

Dan serves as a board member of Amigos, and is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of America. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona. Dan is an avid Wildcats fan!

Hank currently serves on the boards of directors and executive committees for the Northern Arizona University Foundation (Board Chair, 2013-2015), Northern Arizona University Alumni Board of Directors (Past President), Employer’s Health Alliance of Arizona, Breakfast Club of Tucson, and the Mountain Oyster Club. He is chairman of The NAU Capital Campaign and chairs the Investment Committee for Arizona Town Hall. Hank is a member of the Tucson DM50, Southern Arizona Defense Alliance, the Tucson Festival of Books Sponsorship Committee, and Los Charros de Desierto. His professional memberships include the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, NAPFA, and the Financial Planning Association.

Hank’s past service includes Chairman of the Boards of Pima County Access Program and Compass Behavioral Health Care. He served on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, appointed by Gov. Jane Hull and was appointed by the Board of Regents to the NAU Presidential Search Committee in 2014.

Hank is a native Tucsonan and a graduate of Amphi High School (Go Panthers!) and Northern Arizona University (Go Jacks!). He is a founding member of the Tucson Magpies Rugby Club. Hank is married to Barbara and they have a daughter and son-in-law, Shelby and Brian Davis, and a son, Charlie.

Tony Penn

President & CEOUnited Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona

Tony is president and CEO of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona(UWTSA).

Under his leadership, UWTSA creates “Collective Impact” that leads to large-scale positive social change across Southern Arizona. UWTSA partners with 80+ agencies to touch the lives of more than 100,000 annually.

Prior to joining UWTSA, Tony served as a Senior Executive of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio for 8+ years. Tony has also held positions in the for-profit sector, including a 23+ year career with Teradyne Corporation and is also an Air Force veteran.

Tony is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management Southwest Leadership Program. He is also a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio, College of Public Policy in Non Profit Management, and the Harvard Business School Executive Education program in Governing for Non Profit Excellence.

He is currently Chair of the Tucson Metro Chamber Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO).

Mitch Pisik

President & CEOTM International

Mitch has served as President & CEO of 4 Private Equity owned Global Consumer Products Companies – One in New York, 2 in Texas and 1 in Arizona.

He is currently running TM International. TMI is one of Tucson’s largest manufacturers that is headquartered in Tucson. They are a Consumer Products manufacturer selling a vast array of innovative, trademarked, and licensed products into thousands of retail locations, corporate headquarters and companies in 80 countries. They are a global leader in the design and printing of custom, specialty and unique products. Started in 1989, this is their 25th year.

They also won the prestigious Copper Cactus Award for the Best Place To Work in Southern Arizona in 2014.

He started his career as a consultant and auditor with KPMG after passing his CPA exam on his first attempt as a senior in college.

He is and has been an active Board Member of several private, public and not-for-profit companies; and a Business Consultant and Advisor.

In addition to his membership in SALC, Mitch serve on the Board of Directors of the Southern Arizona United Way, is an active member of the Tucson Metro Chamber, and has accepted committee positions assisting in setting Strategic Direction of several local organizations.

Donald Pitt

PresidentCornerstone Capital Management

Donald was educated in the Tucson public school system and graduated from the U of A College of Law in 1955. Following his tour as an officer in the U.S. Army, he returned to Tucson in 1957 and formed the law firm of Merchant, Parkman, Miller and Pitt, known today as Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally. He retired from the practice of law in 1987. During and after Donald’s law career, he has been actively engaged in the development field as a developer/owner of over 3,000,000 sq. ft. of office building, hotel, apartment, shopping center and subdivision properties throughout the U.S. and Canada. Among these properties is the Transamerica Title building in downtown Tucson; the former Hyatt Hotel at LAX, the Gulf and Western Building in NYC; several IBM and Allstate Insurance Company office buildings in five western states; the Social Security Administration Building in Albuquerque; Sunrise Village Center and Toys R Us Plaza in Tucson; and apartment complexes in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas. Donald was a principal shareholder in Texana, owner and manager of distribution facilities, condos, apartments, office buildings, land and shopping centers in Dallas, Texas. He and a partner were instrumental in merging Texana into Columbus Realty Trust which merged with Post Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE), one of this country’s preeminent urban apartment developers and operators. He is involved in the development of Pima Canyon in Tucson, an office building in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a Resort Hotel/residential lots project in Seaside, California being developed around two existing 18-hole golf courses.

Another facet of Donald’s career has been in the athletic and entertainment fields, including founding the Phoenix Suns and serving as president until 1986, owning KVOA TV, Tucson’s NBC affiliate, and serving on the Board of Directors of Orion Pictures, formerly known as Filmways. He also is a principal owner of Old Tucson. Prior to becoming a member of the Arizona Board of Regents in 1987, he served as vice chairman of Tucson Unified School District’s Committee to Desegregate Tucson Schools and as chairman of the Fenster School Board. While a member of the Arizona Board of Regents (1983 to 1994), he served as president for two terms, co-chaired the Commission for the Status of Women, served as chairman of the Finance Committee, was instrumental in formulating a strategic planning process for the growth and development of higher education in Arizona and was instrumental in the development of the Student Aid Fund Trust. As a former board member of the University of Arizona Hospital, he was instrumental in converting the hospital from a state operated facility to a non-profit corporation, thereby enabling the University’s medical mission to continue profitably at a time many hospitals were facing severe financial crises. Donald’s concern for the creation of new jobs in Arizona and his recognition of the research mission of the University of Arizona joined his visionary talent in developing new concepts to engineer the acquisition by the University of Arizona of 1,345 acres and two million square feet of buildings developed by IBM in Tucson. Through his leadership and ability to compile the necessary team to get the job done, the acquisition of IBM’s property, at negligible cost to the U of A, was completed in 1994. He now serves as president of Campus Research Corporation, a non-profit company, which assists the U of A in developing and operating the U of A’s Science and Technology Park and its Biosciences Park.

In 2000, ABOR’s Commission on the Status of Women honored Donald with its Vision 2000 award. Previously he received the President’s Medallion from the U of A, an honorary degree from NAU and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the U of A. The Tucson Citizen named him as one of Tucson’s five most influential leaders. In September 2003, the International Economic Development Council presented its Citizen Leadership Award to Donald Pitt. The Award is presented annually to “a private citizen whose personal leadership and dedication to the betterment of its community through quality, sustainable, economic development has improved his community’s quality of life.”

Jane Poynter

CEOWorld View Experience

Ms. Poynter is CEO of Worldview Experience and co-founder of Paragon Space Development Corp. Ms. Poynter is co-designer and patent holder for Paragon’s Autonomous Biological System, a long duration plant and aquatic animal life support system that flew on the U.S. Space Shuttle, the International Space Station and the Russian Mir Space Station. She served as SPACEHAB’s Chief Scientist for its Ecosystem in Space experiment on the International Space Station, and conducted three experiments with ants, bees and fish, which flew on STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia.

In 2009 the National Association for Female Executives awarded Ms. Poynter its Entrepreneur of the Year award. Her second book, Champions for Change: Athletes Making A World of Difference launched in November 2009 at the United Nations in New York, and is now a successful middle school science education program.

Prior to Paragon, she was a founding member of the Biosphere 2 Design, Development, Test and Operations team, and a crew member in the first two-year mission living and working inside the three-acre materially closed ecological system which supported the life of the eight human inhabitants. Demonstrating the viability of artificial biospheres, Biosphere 2 was designed for research applicable to environmental management on Earth and the development of closed loop human life support technology for long duration space travel. Ms. Poynter was responsible for the design and operation of Biosphere 2’s half-acre farm and associated food production systems. She authored The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2.

Tamara Prime

Bob Ramirez

President & CEOVantage West Credit Union

Robert D. Ramirez is the President/CEO of Vantage West Credit Union and has held this position since April 2000.

Ramirez began his career at Vantage West Credit Union (formerly Davis Monthan Federal Credit Union) in 1985, at which time he held the position of Vice President/Asset Liability Management. In 1996, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of the credit union.

A native of Arizona, Ramirez received his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Arizona in 1976. In 1983, he was admitted to the State Board of Accountancy to practice as a Certified Public Accountant. He also is a graduate of the Financial Management School at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and of the CUES CEO Institute

Ramirez is active in numerous community organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mountain West Credit Union Association, FirstCorp, the DM50 Club, the 162nd FW Air Guardians, Pima Community College Foundation, Credit Union Executive Society (CUES), San Miguel High School, and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

Manuel Ramos

President & COOAsarco

Manuel Ramos has worked in the metals and mining industry since 1974 when he started for Grupo Mexico as a shift supervisor in the Sinter Plant at the Chihuahua Lead Smelter. He was given increased levels of responsibility through 1980 at which time he went to train for the Start Up of the Zinc Refinery in San Luis Potosi where he worked as the Acid Plant Superintendent and Leaching and Purification Superintendent. In 1983 he was promoted to Operations General Superintendent.

In 1990 he was transferred and promoted to General Manager at the Chihuahua Lead Smelter until the closure of the Plant in 1996. He was then named General Manager of the Copper Refinery in La Caridad, Sonora with the start up of Grupo’s new refinery.

In 1999 when Grupo Mexico acquired Asarco, Mr. Ramos took over as Vice President of Lead and Specialty Metals and in 2004 he became the Vice President of Metallurgical Plants for Asarco. In 2009 after Asarco emerged from bankruptcy, Mr. Ramos was named President & COO.

Mr. Ramos received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from San Luis Potosi State University. He also has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Human Resources from Chihuahua State University.

He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife Soledad. They have two daughters.

Mr. Ramos is an avid hiker, bicyclist and outdoorsman. He has climbed Pico de Orizaba (18,493 ft) and Popocatepetl (17,930 ft) in Mexico and has participated in the El Tour de Tucson – Platinum division.

Mr. Ramos has been instrumental in leading Asarco back into profitability while increasing productivity at its operations, maximizing the potential of its properties and emphasizing concentrated efforts on safety and environmental compliance. His motto: “Do it Safe, Do it Right!”

Judy Rich

Judy Rich has had a varied healthcare career since she received an undergraduate degree in nursing from New York’s Roberts Wesleyan College and a graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rich has held roles from staff nurse to CEO. She started her professional experience at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. After moving to Palm Beach, Florida, she held management positions at St. Mary’s Hospital for 15 years.

She served as the COO at Wellmont Health System, in Kingsport, Tennessee, and then moved to Tucson in 2003. She held the position of COO for Tucson Medical Center until 2006. During that time Rich was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to serve on the Arizona State Board of Nursing. She joined The Bard Group in Boston as a Senior Consultant. In this role she worked in large academic medical centers (Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit, and others) with a focus on physician engagement.

Upon returning to Tucson Medical Center in June 2007, Rich led the team in a financial turnaround as the President and CEO of Southern Arizona’s largest hospital. In addition to the financial turnaround, TMC has experienced significant improvements in patient, physician and employee satisfaction, surpassing all benchmarks in those areas. TMC has launched a $250 million, six-year strategy to rebuild and improve the current campus, including the implementation of a state-of-the-art electronic medical record system, a new TMC for Children inpatient unit and the construction of the four-story Orthopaedic and Surgical Tower.

Judy serves on the boards of the Arizona Hospital & Healthcare Association, VHA Board and VHA West Coast Board and Southern Arizona Leadership Council. She is the past Chair for the 2011-2012 United Way Campaign for Tucson and Southern Arizona and she previously served on the board of EMERGE! Center Against Domestic Abuse. Additionally, Rich is a member of the Chairman’s Circle of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, or TREO, and is on the Executive Advisory Council of United Healthcare.

Cody Ritchie

PresidentCrest Insurance Group

Cody Ritchie serves as president of Crest Insurance Group, which he formed in 2010, having started with Crest’s predecessor firm, Mueller & Associates, in 1993. Cody graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and from the University of Arizona with a Master of Athletic Administration. He serves on the boards of the Tucson Metro Chamber and Rio Nuevo.

John-Paul Roczniak

Interim President & CEOUA Foundation

John-Paul Roczniak is interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Arizona Foundation, a comprehensive development organization generating more than $150 million annually in private funding to advance the University of Arizona. Since 2013, Roczniak has served as the senior vice president of principal giving and planned gifts at the Foundation. With responsibility for building relationships and meeting the needs of top donors, Roczniak played a pivotal role in the successful launch of the $1.5B Arizona NOW campaign, the largest in the history of the University.

Before coming to the Foundation in 2007, Roczniak was Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the William E. Simon Graduate School of Management at the University of Rochester where he increased annual donations from $3 million to $10 million in his first two years. In 2001, Roczniak joined UA’s Eller College of Business and Public Administration and was Associate Director of Development from 2002-2004. Roczniak earned a Bachelor of Arts from Central Connecticut State University, is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has been active with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) since 1997. His wife, Christine, and he have two dogs, Riley and Gracie.

Bill Roe

Community Leader

Bill Roe has been involved in conservation and politics in Arizona since his arrival in 1975. Bill has worked with several Arizona state boards, commissions and governors, beginning with Bruce Babbitt. He chairs the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission and is involved in land and watershed protection in southeastern Arizona.

Bill has a long history of public service, particularly in the environmental arena. For more than 30 years he has served as a consultant or volunteer with a wide variety of non-profit groups in the natural resource area, including the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission and the Pima County Open Space Commission. He served two terms on the Arizona State Parks Board, being the only person appointed to a board by both Governors Babbitt and Symington. Bill has also served on the Greater Tucson Economic Council, and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System for Arizona Game and Fish. He served on the executive steering committee for the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Economic Blueprint.

Currently, Bill is the Chair of the Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission. Bill serves on the Advisory Board for Project New West for the eight intermountain states, and on the Board of the Arizona League of Conservation Voters. He was appointed by both Governors Napolitano and Brewer to serve on the Arizona State Parks Sustainability Task Force, an ongoing project.

Bill graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio, and received his law degree from Columbia University.

Warren Rustand

CEOProvidence Service Corp.

The common thread that permeates Warren’s Rustand’s experience is one of vision, strategy, and executive leadership. He has created, led, and grown many successful private, public, and not for profit entities. He has a passion for family, entrepreneurship, public policy, and community.

Warren is the CEO of Providence Service Corporation (NASDAQ; PSC) a $1.2 Billion social services and Logistics Management Company. He was previously Managing Director of SC Capital Partners an investment banking group. Warren was Chairman and CEO of Rural Metro Corporation, a $600 million, publicly traded emergency services company. He also served as Chairman and CEO of TLC Vision, the world’s largest Lasik eye surgery company. He has served as Chairman/CEO of 6 other companies.

He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for over 50 public, private, and not-for-profit organizations. The range of these organizations is from multibillion dollar public companies, to midsize, early stage, and startups. As CEO he has taken two companies public, one of which is the largest in its industry and the other is the second largest in its industry.

In 1973 Warren was selected as a White House Fellow through a nationally competitive process. He served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce and led the first ever Executive Level Trade Mission to the Soviet Union. He joined the staff of Vice President Ford on the day he was sworn-in. In August of 1974 when the Vice President became President, Warren was asked to serve as Appointments Secretary and Cabinet Secretary to the President.

In furthering his interest in community service and public policy, Warren created a seminar in Washington DC., titled “Public Policy and the Private Sector.” Now celebrating its 28th year, it invites CEOs to meet with the highest level people in government, media, and lobbying. To date over 4000 individuals have participated in the Seminar.

Warren has served as the International Chairman, of the World Presidents Organization, a group of 10,000 CEO’s in 100 countries. He has also served as International Chairman of L3, a global leadership group, which is focused on one’s contribution during the second half of life.

Warren is the founder and Dean of Faculty at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Leadership Academy in Washington DC. Warren is a frequent speaker on subjects of: leadership, business, families, and personal development.

Warren received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Arizona. He has been the recipient of many honors and awards including: The Visionary Leadership Award, the Distinguished Citizen Award, the 25 Year Achievement Award, election to the Sports Hall of Fame, the Robshaw Award, and being named a White House Fellow.

Glenn Sampert

General ManagerWestin La Paloma

Glenn Sampert previously served as general manager of the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort and Casino, a 694-room property in Nassau, Bahamas. In his role as general manager at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, Glenn oversees all fiscal, marketing, programming, and day-to-day operations of the property’s hospitality, culinary, and event divisions. Glenn is a Vancouver, British Colombia native who has been a part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide team since 1998. Glenn is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and earned a degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude, from the British Columbian Institute of Technology in hospitality and tourism administration.

Si Schorr

PartnerLewis Roca Rothgerber LLP

Mr. Schorr is the senior partner in the Tucson office for the firm of Lewis Roca Rothgerber, practicing in the areas of real estate, corporate, and general business law. He has been involved in many major land use cases in Arizona.

Professional Activities
Mr. Schorr serves on the Tucson Airport Authority and the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Commission.

He was chair of the State Board of Transportation and the first Chair of the Regional Transportation Authority. He served as a member of the Pima County Planning Commissions (1959-62), Tucson Assistant City Manager and Urban Renewal Director (1962-1963), and the Governor’s Economic Planning and Development and Advisory Board (1983-1985).

He served and was co-chair of the Arizona State Bar CLE seminar on Land Use Regulation and Litigation (1977, 1986, 1989). He was also the chair of the University of Arizona Law School CLE Seminar on Ballot Box Law: The Initiative and Referendum in Land Use and Public Decision-Making (1991), and co-chair of the CLE International Seminar on Land Use Law: Development, Regulation, and Environmental Issues (1996).

Community Activities
Mr. Schorr serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. He was chairman of the Governor’s Task Force of the Seriously Mentally Ill (1989-91), chair of the Tucson-Pima County Commission on Improved Government Management (1976) and a founding board member of Pima Community College (1966-67).

Special Recognition
Mr. Schorr is listed in the current editions of The Best Lawyers in America and Southwest Super Lawyers.

Bar Affiliations
Mr. Schorr is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Pima County Bar Association.

Keri Silvyn

PartnerLazarus Silvyn & Bangs

Keri Silvyn is a zoning and land use attorney whose practice, Lazarus, Silvyn & Bangs, P.C., emphasizes sustainable development and appropriate and responsible growth. Her work focuses on advising private developers and local governments on application of zoning codes, compliance with state statutes, compliance with current land use case law, and effective legal public/private partnerships. Greater Tucson Leadership selected Keri as the Tucson Woman of the Year for 2013. Keri is listed as one of America’s Leading Business Lawyers in the category of Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use in the 2012 edition of Chambers USA by Chambers and Partners Publishers.

In addition to serving on many other boards and leadership groups, Keri is the co-founder of and immediate past chair of the board for Imagine Greater Tucson (IGT). The mission of this non-profit is to develop community-driven choices for living, working, learning, and playing in Tucson by connecting government, stakeholders, and business. Having created a regional vision for future growth and prosperity in the Tucson area modeled on “Envision Utah,” IGT is now working to implement that vision, focusing on transportation decisions, regional comprehensive and general plans, and educating the community about growth and community health. One of the exciting projects is the Tucson Regional Indicators Project (“TRIP”) to help the region create indicators of progress in achieving the vision.

Keri is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law. She lives with her husband, Jeff, and three children in Tucson.

Pat Simmons

Sr. VP & Commercial Banking Mgr.Alliance Bank of Arizona

Pat Simmons joined Alliance Bank in 2008 with more than 37 years of banking experience, most recently, with National Bank of Arizona as the Director of Commercial Banking for the Southern Arizona region. An active member of the Tucson community, Simmons currently serves on the Business Development Finance Corporation Board of Directors. Simmons has previously served on the Hon Kachina Council, the American Heart Board, and was a member of the Phoenix Country Club.

Pat is a native of Odessa, Texas and holds a BBA from Texas Christian University.

Neil Simon

PartnerVenture West, Inc.

Neil Simon is a partner of Venture West, Inc., a full service Tucson-based commercial real estate firm. Since its founding in 1981, Venture West has developed and constructed over 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space, and the company currently manages approximately 3 million square feet of commercial space. Venture West is currently developing Innovation Park in Oro Valley, a 200 acre office and business park which is home to the pharmaceutical firms Ventana-Roche and Sanofi, as well as to Oro Valley Hospital. Venture West also invests in businesses, and recently sold its interest in Peter Piper Inc., a 150-unit restaurant chain of which Mr. Simon served as CEO.

Prior to founding Venture West, Mr. Simon was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and a securities analyst with Standard and Poor’s.

Mr. Simon received his BA from Yale University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Sarah Smallhouse

PresidentThomas R. Brown Foundation

Sarah is a Tucson native and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Economics, her MBA from the University of Arizona, and most recently, a MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. She and her husband David have two children, Tommy and Laura.

She is President of the Brown Foundations in Tucson. The foundations are focused on education and strategic initiatives. They have made significant grants benefiting the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Science Foundation Arizona, the Critical Path Institute, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, the Tucson Pima County Library and Literacy Connects among others. The Brown Foundations also provide economic education workshops for K-12 school teachers, and have organized symposiums and forums on public policy issues.

In addition to the Brown Foundations Sarah chairs the University of Arizona Foundation Board and the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center Board.

Her personal interests include tennis, sailing, hiking, reading, and travel.

Jim Smith

Executive Vice PresidentEmpire Southwest

Jim Smith is the Executive Vice President and Corporate Officer for Empire Southwest, the Dealer for Caterpillar, Inc., serving Arizona, Southwest California and Northern Mexico. Jim is responsible for leading the Mining and Product Support businesses for Empire and serves on Empire’s Board of Directors.

Over the years, Jim has been involved in several industry boards serving the Arizona Department of Education with focus on the growth and development of vocational education. Jim also serves on two Business Advisory Boards for Caterpillar North and South America. These boards are targeting business development in North and South America and target foundational areas such as employee recruitment, development and retention, transitional phases of business environments and manufacturer/dealer alignment.

Jim attended Arizona State University where he received his undergraduate and his MBA degrees. He is an avid golfer and in his free time enjoys spending time with his nine grandchildren.

Teri Spencer

President & CEOEphibian, Inc.

Teri is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ephibian. Ephibian is a technology services company specializing in custom software development, data integration and web design solutions. It is headquartered in Tucson, AZ, and has employees in several cities across the nation.

In August 1996, Teri founded the company with four co-founders who, literally, started in a garage. Under her leadership, Ephibian has grown from a few people in a garage to a company providing innovative software solutions to companies around the world including AOL, Intuit, Honda, AT&T, IBM, Marriott, Hughes, Sears, Tosco (Circle K and 76), UUNET, and Bell Atlantic to name a few. Her ideas on technology have been published in several magazines and books including Dot-Com Successes and Inside Business Incubators & Corporate Ventures.

She and her company have won numerous awards in the Arizona Business Community including the Arizona Technology Council’s President of the Year Award and Service Provider of the Year Award, the Business Journal’s Fast Tech 50 for one of the fastest growing technology firms in Arizona, the National Speaker’s Association “Do Whatever It Takes Team” Award for Customer Service, The Business Journal’s Top 40 Executives under Age 40 Award and many others.

Before starting Ephibian, Teri was a lead systems engineer for the U.S. Army where she led a team of more than 100 engineers and oversaw several hundred more. They were responsible for the design, development and deployment of several projects valued at more than $100 million. She was the lead system engineer for the Army’s billion-dollar information systems redesign. Over her career, her teams deployed networks, systems and software solutions to more than 100 Army bases worldwide. She led the team that developed the Army’s first fully integrated enterprise management solution, which was used to manage heterogeneous networks and systems across 60 different Army installations worldwide. This enterprise management solution saved the Army over $80 million in annual personnel costs. Teri received the Secretary of the Army’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the prestigious Outstanding Performance Award from the Secretary of Defense.

In addition to her duties at Ephibian, Teri has sat on the board of several companies including Miltope Corporation, Phoenix Group International and Fitrex. She currently sits on the board of directors for Flix Media Corporation.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1987 from the University of Arizona. She was a founding member of the University of Arizona’s chapter (Ioti Xi) of the International Electrical Engineering Honor Society, Eta Kappa Nu.

Nan Stockholm-Walden

Vice President & Legal CounselFarmers Investment Co.

Currently, Nan Stockholm Walden serves as Vice President and Counsel at Farmers Investment Co.(FICO), the largest pecan growing and processing farm in the world, located in Sahuarita, Arizona. She serves in the same capacity for Farmers Water Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of FICO.

Nan received a B.A. in environmental studies with honors and distinction from Stanford University, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School where she was President of the Stanford Environmental Law Society.

During her career Nan served as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Counsel for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan on the Water Resources Subcommittee. She was Chief of Staff for Senator Bill Bradley who served on the Senate Finance, and Energy and Natural Resources Committees. She was Director of the Presidio Council, a national group of distinguished citizens who advised the Department of Interior on the conversion of the Presidio Army Base in San Francisco to a national park. She was consultant to a number of foundations including Irvine, Hewlett, Packard and Ford on environmental, and land regulation and growth issues in rapidly growing states. She also served as Director of the Western Conference of Attorneys General, and Counsel to the Western Conference of State Legislators, a division of the National Council of State Governments. In Arizona she has been Associate Vice President for Federal Relations at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

In addition to her work at FICO, Nan serves or has served on the boards of President’s Council of the American Farmland Trust, The Arizona Nature Conservancy, the Canoa Ranch Advisory Committee, the Sonoran Institute, the Carondelet Foundation and Cabinet, the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, the Santa Lucia Conservancy, the Stanford Law School Environmental and Natural Resources Advisory Council, and the University of Arizona Eller College of Business Associates Board.

Nan enjoys horseback riding, birding, dog training and fly fishing, and resides with her husband, Dick Walden, on a working ranch in Amado.

Priscilla Storm

Vice PresidentDiamond Ventures

With more than 30 years of diverse real estate and business experience, Priscilla Storm oversees special projects for the Company’s real estate portfolio. She leads the Company’s evaluation of the real estate regulations specializing in environmental and natural resource conservation issues. She coordinates federal, state and regional government relations. Priscilla serves as the bi-lingual management liaison to investors and Diamond U.S. and Mexico affiliate companies. She is actively involved in identifying new initiatives for the Company. Prior to joining Diamond Ventures in 2001, Priscilla was an executive at the Pascua Yaqui Indian Tribe. She received her degree in communications and border studies from Trinity University and her M.B.A. degree from Texas A & M International University.

Phillip Swaim

PrincipalSwaim Associates Architects

Phil Swaim has worked with several architectural firms in Arizona and Colorado since 1974 and gained construction experience from 1977 through 1981. This wide range of experience allows him to handle various types, scales, and complexities of projects. Phil joined Swaim Associates in 1985 and became president of the company in 1992. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture, University of Oregon, 1982.

Mr. Sweger represents clients in connection with the formation, purchase and sale of businesses, equity and debt financings and real estate joint ventures. He advises corporate clients with regard to governance and regulatory compliance matters, and represents and advises hospitals and other healthcare providers in connection with regulatory compliance issues and commercial transactions.

Among other transactions, Mr. Sweger represented Moltech Power Systems, Inc. in its sale to Shanghai Huayi, a transaction reported in Fortune Magazine as one of the first acquisitions of an American company by a Chinese company (Fortune Magazine, “Shanghaied in Florida,” February 24, 2006); CyraCom International, Inc. in its acquisition of Language Learning Enterprises, Inc.; and EC Source Services, LLC in its formation and eventual $131 million merger with MasTec, Inc. in 2011.

Mr. Sweger received a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College in 1995 and a J.D. with high honors from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1998, where he was a member of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Mr. Sweger joined Lewis Roca Rothgerber in 1998.

Nathanael Tarwasokono

President & CEOPima Federal Credit Union

SALC member Nathanael Tarwasokono was born in Singapore and is the oldest of four siblings. At the age of eight, his dad moved the family to the United States to allow them to live the American dream. Nathanael grew up in a rural town in North Carolina, where he graduated from a small private school and attended the local community college. In 2002, he and his wife moved to Tucson to start their family. While delivering paint for Sherwin-Williams during the day, he attended the University of Phoenix in the evenings to complete his bachelor’s degree in accounting. One of his professors introduced him to the CEO of Pima Federal Credit Union, where he accepted a Fraud Investigator position for $9/hour in 2003. Four years later at age 28, Nathanael was selected by the Board to become the next CEO of Pima Federal, the 3rd largest credit union in Southern Arizona.

Nathanael officially took over as CEO in June 2008 during the Great Recession. Despite going through one of the worst financial crisis in history, Pima Federal was one of the few financial institutions in Arizona to maintain a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial throughout the recession. Since becoming CEO, the credit union’s assets have grown by over 70% from about $250 million to over $435 million, and the credit union has maintained a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial for 24 consecutive quarters. During his first 6 years as CEO, Nathanael guided the merger of a $60 million credit union, built the current executive team, and expanded the corporate headquarters.

Nathanael joined SALC in 2012, focusing most of his energy on education. In addition to his strong support of Tucson Values Teachers, Nathanael joined the SALC Pima Community College Action Team and now has a critical role with PCC as Chairman of the college’s Finance and Audit Committee.

Nathanael also led in the development of numerous relationships and community outreach programs in 2011 that have received state and national recognition, including:
• Establishing a community outreach program for employees that has given back over 5,000 hours of volunteering to the community.
• Establishing a financial giving program for local organizations that has provided over $370,000 in financial donations.
• Establishing a financial literacy program for local schools that has taught over 2,400 students.

Nathanael has a CPA license and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Arizona Society of CPAs. He is also a Board member for Strategic Partners Group (an organization that provides products and services to credit unions is AZ, CO, and WY).

Growing up in a low-income, immigrant family, Nathanael is very passionate about education and helping people of modest means. Nathanael currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with his lovely wife, Kerrie, and two wonderful boys, Noah and Isaiah. He attributes his early success in life to his strong faith, having great mentors, and a very supportive family.

Teri ThompsonSenior Vice President University RelationsUniversity of Arizona

Teri Thompson

Senior Vice President University RelationsUniversity of Arizona

Teri Lucie Thompson joined the University of Arizona in 2013 as Senior Vice President University Relations with responsibility for the institution’s communications, marketing, alumni relations, community and legislative relations, presidential events, and Arizona Public Media.

Ms. Thompson grew up in Illinois, earning multiple degrees from Illinois State University and certification in New Product Development from the University of Michigan.

After teaching at her alma mater, Ms. Thompson spent 13 years with State Farm Insurance in a number of positions and locations from overseeing a regional marketing operation in Lincoln, Nebraska to leading the company’s customer segment marketing at its corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois.

Ms. Thompson was recruited from State Farm to Safeco Insurance as Vice President – Marketing, where she was responsible for all facets of marketing and charged with reshaping the brand and reinvigorating the company’s advertising.

Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Thompson was recruited to Purdue University where she was Vice President Marketing & Media and Chief Marketing Officer. Her work in bringing a corporate discipline and brand focus to higher education marketing/communications was chronicled in publications from Marketing News to the Wall Street Journal. In recognition of her work, Ms. Thompson received the American Marketing Association’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year in 2012.

Thompson is the author of “Tuning into Mom: Understanding America’s Most Powerful Consumer” (Purdue Press, 2011) and is a founding board member of the Marketing to Moms Coalition. She is a contributor to Forbes CMO Network.

In 2013, Ms. Thompson was named to Illinois State University’s Alumni Hall of Fame. She received the American Advertising Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and the Stevie Award as Marketing Executive of the Year in 2010.

In addition to SALC, key current affiliations include the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Board, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Board, Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Council on Strategic Communications, American Marketing Association, and the Legacy Fundraising Society for Illinois State University, where she supports an endowed award, the Lucie Critical Thinking award.

Steve Touche

Industry Experience:
Lovitt & Touché, Inc.
33 Years Insurance Industry Experience
Responsible for profitable operation of 83rd largest Insurance Brokerage in the United States
Active Group Benefits Broker and Consultant
Clients range from 500-4000 employees
Expertise in Large Group Benefit Planning and Consulting
Medical, Life, Disability and Ancillary benefits
Self-Funded Plan Design and Stop Loss Insurance

Professional Education:
Bachelor of Science, Business Finance, Arizona State University, 1984
Licensed for Life, Health, Disability in 21 states including Arizona
Licensed for Property & Casualty in 5 states including Arizona
Agency Principal with NASD series 26
Registered Representative series 6 & 63 with NASD for Variable Annuity/Variable Life and Mutual Funds in 4 states

Richard Underwood

PresidentAAA Landscape

Richard Underwood joined SALC in fall of 2007. He has been very active in SALC, joining the Strategic Initiatives Committee, and now serving on the Tucson Charter Change Coalition (TC3) Executive Committee, helping us work to create positive changes in Tucson’s governance structure.

Richard and his brother started AAA Landscape 35 years ago with a pickup truck and $1,000 they borrowed from their mother. Today AAA Landscape is a $45 million company with 600+ employees in Phoenix and Tucson. In addition to being President of AAA Landscape, Richard is founder and first Chairman of the Board for Canyon Community Bank and presently serving as Chairman of the Holding Company. He is founder and president of the Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce, served on Board of Directors for Associated Landscape Contractors of America, past president of Arizona Landscape Contractors Association, served on the Board of Directors for Metropolitan Pima Alliance, is a member of University of Arizona Presidents Club, is Life Director for Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, member of Arizona Open Land Trust, and Arizona Planning Institute, pledged to Science Foundation Arizona, Casa De Los Ninos, serves on executive oversight board of CALA (U of A College of Architecture, Landscape Architecture), as well as the Executive Board of the Tucson Chamber.

Richard and his family donated the Underwood Memorial Garden to CALA. The garden has won numerous national and international awards for design, installation, sustainability and relevance; a living laboratory for our Sonoran Desert.

Richard attended the University of Arizona, lettering in wrestling. He is also a former professional rodeo cowboy who competitively rode bulls and bucking horses.

Kip Volpe

Vice President/TreasurerThe Estes Company

Kip is the Vice President and Treasurer for The Estes Co. and the President of Estes Land and Development Company, a multi-generational, full spectrum Tucson and Arizona real estate development company which has built over 35,000 homes in Arizona, developed master planned communities such as Ventana Canyon, La Reserve, Rancho del Lago and Midvale Park and numerous office buildings and shopping centers. In addition to the Estes development activities, Kip oversees the operations of its various related entities including Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and Vail Water Company.

Kip graduated in 1978 with a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Arizona and received his Certified Public Accountant certificate in 1980. He worked with Big 8 and national accounting firms Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now known as KPMG) and Kenneth Leventhal & Company (now known as Ernst & Young) from 1978-82 which provided him with a diverse industry background including real estate. In his 25+ years with Estes, Kip has also served as the Controller of the Community Development Division, Owners’ Representative for varied businesses such as professional baseball teams including the Tucson Toros, country clubs including Ventana Canyon Golf and Racquet Club, and a cable television company, among assorted other roles.

Kip was appointed as a Trustee to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson’s Pooled Parish Investment Trust in 2005 in which he serves in the capacity of Treasurer. He was requested by Bishop Gerald Kicanas to serve on Long Range Planning Committee for the Diocese. Kip sits on the Governing and Corporate Board of Directors of Wildcat School, an innovative charter school established in partnership with the University of Arizona. Kip is also a member of the Centurions of Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital. Kip currently serves on the SALC Water Task Force.

Kurt Wadlington

Kurt Wadlington serves as the Tucson Building Group Leader for Sundt Construction. Educated as an Architect, Kurt spent twenty years practicing architecture prior to joining Sundt in 1999.

As Building Group Leader for Sundt’s Tucson office, Kurt is responsible for his team’s delivery of pre-construction and construction services consistent with client goals and objectives. Over his career, he has been involved in the design and construction of notable Southern Arizona projects for clients such as the University of Arizona; Pima & Cochise Community Colleges; Tucson, Sahuarita, Marana & Catalina Unified Districts; City of Tucson, Pima County; Tucson International Airport; Northwest Fire District; Muscular Dystrophy Association; and Habitat for Humanity.

Kurt’s commitment to community and professional support is exemplified by this ongoing participation in numerous business, philanthropic and service organizations. Recent highlights include Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board; Arizona Forward (2010-2012 Advisory Board Chair); and Tucson Metro Chamber Board of Directors (2013-2014 Chair).

Affiliations in addition to SALC include American Institute of Architects, Arizona Builder’s Alliance; Design Build Institute of America, United States Green Building Council; UA College of Architecture Deans Advisory Council; and VIP Breakfast Club.

As a long time Southern Arizona business professional, Kurt is passionate about facilitating sustainable economic growth of the region. Two particular areas of interest include P-20 education and transportation infrastructure. Through SALC committees relative to these focus areas, Kurt has collaborated with other local business leaders to advance key initiatives that provide business leadership for the future prosperity of Southern Arizona.

Kurt attended the University of Arizona and received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1999. In his free time he enjoys golf, fishing, outdoor activities and woodworking. He is married with three children including two who reside in in Tucson.

Richard Walden

Chairman, President & CEOFarmers Investment Co.

Dick Walden is Chairman, President and CEO of Farmers Investment Co (FICO). Walden grew up on the company’s Continental Farm, in what is now Green Valley, AZ. He participated from an early age in all aspects of agricultural operations that have included cotton, lettuce, vegetables, cattle, sheep and now pecans. He also serves as President of Farmers Water Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of FICO.

Walden attended the Thacher School in Ojai, CA and graduated with a degree in economics from Pomona College in 1964. He also completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program.

From 1965-1968 Walden served as a U.S. Army Aviator. He graduated first in his class from Army Flight School. He flew OV-1 Mohawks in Vietnam, and received the Army Commendation Medal and the Air Medal with 3-Oak Leaf Clusters, being released from active duty as Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1968.

In 1968 he returned to Arizona to work for FICO. The company, based in Sahuarita, is the world’s largest grower and processor of pecans. Farming operations cover more than 7,000 acres at this time. Walden serves or has served on numerous boards and civic organizations. These include the board of the American Farmland Trust, four terms on the Arizona Power Authority, past chair and board member of the National Pecan Shellers Association, founding member of the Southern Arizona Water Resources Association, Arizona Water Banking Authority, Arizona Cattle Feeder’s Association, Great Tucson Economic Council, International Tree Nut Council, Green Fields Country Day School, Green Valley Community Health Center, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s 12th District Advisory Council on Small Business and Agriculture, Governor’s Task Force on Groundwater Management, the University of Arizona’s School of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory Board, and the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Business and Public Administration.

Walden is the recipient of numerous awards, including the University of Arizona’s Distinguished Citizen Award, the Pecan Statesman Award given by the National Pecan Growers Council, and Director’s Award from First Interstate Bank of Arizona.

He enjoys aviation, horseback riding and fly-fishing, and resides with his wife, Nan, on a working ranch in Amado.

Eric Walk

Dr. Walk is Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical & Scientific Affairs at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ), a member of the Roche Group.

Dr. Walk’s primary interests are the area of personalized healthcare, translational oncology and molecular diagnostics. Prior to joining Ventana, Dr. Walk worked at Novartis Oncology where he held positions in Translational Medicine and Early Clinical Development, working at the interface between discovery research and clinical development to establish and implement biomarker strategies for several early and late stage targeted oncology therapeutics.

Dr. Walk is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Johns Hopkins University and graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School in 1995. He is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists.

Matt Wandoloski

Vice President Strategy and InformaticsBlue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

As the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Analytics for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ), SALC member Matthew Wandoloski is responsible for guiding the company’s strategy and leading the internal informatics team to utilize data as a strategic asset.

Matthew brings to his current role a wealth of experience from 35 years in health care. His experience bridges all aspects of health care, including the Healthplan side, the broker and consultant side, and the provider side. In addition to a stint owning his own health care consulting company, he has served as VP of Business Development and Contracting for the Carondelet Health Network; Consulting Practice Leader and Client Executive for large accounts at Mercer Consulting; Executive in charge of Actuarial and Underwriting for Intergroup (now Health Net); and CEO for Southern Arizona at United Healthcare. Each role has added depth to Matthew’s understanding of the intricate business of health care, and the importance of each aspect of the health system that forms such a large component of the economy.

Matthew is a true Sun Corridor executive, with one foot in Southern Arizona and one foot in Phoenix. He and his wife Olivia raised their three children in Tucson, where all three graduated from The University of Arizona. His current Board memberships also reflect this bridging, and include Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO), membership in SALC, and Valley of the Sun United Way.

Matthew holds an MBA in finance from C.W. Post College, along with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Southampton College. When he is not hard at work, you may find him on the golf course, at the movies, or enjoying a great bottle of wine with dinner with his wife at one of Arizona’s many great restaurants.

Ann Weaver Hart

PresidentUniversity of Arizona

Weaver Hart is the 21st President of the University of Arizona. She came to Tucson from Temple University, where she served as president from July 2006 until she assumed the presidency of the UA in July 2012. Previously, Dr. Hart served as president of the University of New Hampshire and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California. At the University of Utah, she served as Professor of Educational Leadership, Dean of the Graduate School and Special Assistant to the President.

During her first year at the UA, President Hart successfully led a process to create an integrated strategic plan that is guiding the UA’s academic and financial future.

President Hart is a member of the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, and she is an advisor for the Lincoln Project: Excellence and Access in Public Higher Education at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also serves with a number of organizations around Arizona including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s Executive Committee, Greater Phoenix Leadership, the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Chairman’s Circle, the Arizona State Board of Education, the Udall Foundation, and the Tucson Festival of Books.
Dr. Hart holds three degrees from the University of Utah: a bachelor of science and master of arts in history, and a doctorate in educational administration. In addition to serving as the President of the University of Arizona, Dr. Hart holds an appointment as Professor of Educational Policy Studies & Practice in the College of Education.

Greg White

CFO, Vice President FinanceRaytheon Missile Systems

Gregory (Greg) J. White is vice president of Finance at Raytheon Missile Systems. He is responsible for all business organization, product line, and functional business planning and reporting. White directs overall coordination of accounting, financial planning, direct and indirect budgets, financial systems, and the financial portion of business planning. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2012 sales of $24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. Raytheon’s global headquarters is in Waltham, Mass.

Before joining Raytheon, White worked as vice president of Finance for the Electronics, Information & Support Business at BAE Systems. In this role, he was responsible for leading four lines of business valued at $9 billion, and was responsible for the full spectrum of financial management, excluding treasury, tax and investor relations. White joined BAE in 2001 through a Lockheed Martin business divestiture and rotated through various product lines in increasingly responsible leadership roles. He also held business management positions at Lockheed Martin and General Electric.

White has executive-level financial experience and extensive customer relationship and defense industry experience. In addition to his experience in the defense and aerospace markets, he worked in the commercial heavy manufacturing and financial services industries.

White holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and is a graduate of the General Electric Financial Management Program.

Julie Williams

Vice President, So. AZ DivisionSouthwest Gas Corporation

Julie Williams joined Southwest Gas in 1997 as an Engineer in the Company’s Central Arizona Division where she was then promoted to Supervisor/ Engineering in 1999. Subsequent promotions in the Central Arizona Division include Manager/Engineering in 2004, Manager/New Business Projects in 2006, and Director/Central Support in 2008. Williams was promoted to Vice President/Northern Nevada Division in 2010 and in 2014 was named Vice President/Southern Arizona Division. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. She is the immediate past Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Easter Seals Nevada.

Terry Wilson

TASC, Inc.Vice President, Army & Information Systems Business Unit

Terry Wilson is currently TASC’s Vice President for Army and Defense Agency business across TASC and also serves as the Defense and Civil Sector Deputy. He previously served as the VP of the Army and Information Systems Business Unit in the Defense Group, responsible for operations and growth in support of the US Army with a focus on Army ISR and operations of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Test and Evaluation (T&E) and other T&E contracts. His staff is spread across the US at Ft. Huachuca and Sierra Vista, AZ; Ft. Meade and Indian Head, MD; several locations within the NCR; Huntsville, AL; Tampa, FL; and Colorado Springs, CO.

Mr. Wilson was previously TASC’s Vice President of the T&E Center of Excellence and Business Unit providing oversight over the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) contracts. Prior to this assignment within TASC, he led the Mission Systems Engineering Business Unit within the C2 Systems Division at Northrop Grumman. His workforce consisted of over 700 employees supporting joint commands, military Services and Agencies with test and evaluation services and programmatic engineering support.

Mr. Wilson served as the Program Manager for Northrop Grumman (formerly TRW) at the JITC, Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, from November 2000 – August 2007, where he provided technical services in the area of T&E and managed a staff of over 360 T&E professionals.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Wilson was the Vice President for Operations at Data Systems & Technology, Inc. He also served as the site Program Manager and Intelligence Group Leader for TRW at the Joint Interoperability Test Command from 1988 – 2000. He provided leadership and direction for assigned staff in conducting operational tests, interoperability tests, and standards conformance tests for intelligence and related systems and applications.

Mr. Wilson is a former US Army Intelligence Officer and served in numerous command and staff assignments from Infantry Battalion level through Echelons Above Corps in Korea, Germany, and the United States. He commanded the 209th Military Intelligence Company (Counterintelligence) and was the S3 (Operations Officer) 524th Military Intelligence Battalion in the Republic of Korea. He also served as the 5th Corps G2 (Intelligence) Plans Officer in the Federal Republic of Germany. His specialties included Human Intelligence collection, Counterintelligence operations, Tactical and Operational Level Intelligence and planning.

Mr. Wilson is a graduate of the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Military Operations Training Course, Counterintelligence Officer’s Course, Defense Language Institute (Russian), and Command and General Staff College. He holds a Masters of Military Arts and Sciences in Theater Operations from the School for Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served as the President of the Huachuca Chapter of the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) and now serves on the Board of Directors of ITEA. He also sits on the Industrial Committee on Test & Evaluation, National Defense Industrial Association.

Judy Wood

CEOContact One Call Center, Inc.

Judy Wood has owned Contact One Call Center Inc. since 1981. Her son Jeff Wood and daughter Jennifer Hoffman joined her in the business in the nineties. Contact One provides in- bound and out- bound customer service support, live chat and e-mail response for a wide range of organizations, including the Arizona Office of Tourism, P. F. Chang’s China Bistro, Drive Time, UPH, U. S. Geological Surveys, medical practices, law offices, and service businesses. Contact One provides service throughout the United States in both English and Spanish.

Judy is active in the community and currently serves on the board of directors for the Beacon Group, the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Arizona Commerce Authority. In addition she was appointed by both Governor Napolitano and Governor Brewer to the Governor’s Council on Small Business, which she now chairs. She belongs to a variety of other clubs and organizations in Tucson and has served on the board of directors and as President of the Association of Teleservices International.

Judy and her husband Cliff are both third generation Arizonians from pioneer ranching families. In her free time she enjoys, hiking, horseback riding, gardening, cooking, entertaining, traveling, and spending time with her four grandsons.

Bruce WrightAssociate Vice President for University Research ParksTech Parks Arizona

Bruce Wright

Associate Vice President for University Research ParksTech Parks Arizona

As the Associate Vice President for Tech Parks Arizona at the University of Arizona, Bruce Wright is responsible for the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park (UA Tech Park) and the UA Tech Park at the Bridges. He is also founder and president of the Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI), a technology business incubator and innovation center.

Wright has more than 25 years of experience in the field of economic development. In 2001, he was named Arizona’s Economic Developer of the Year by the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED).

Wright is a graduate of Willamette University where he earned his B.A. with distinction in political science. He attended graduate school at the University of Arizona. He also participated in the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Wright’s research interests include regional economic development, international trade and business development, and technology development and commercialization. He is an adjunct instructor in the UA School of Geography and Development.

Wright has served in several different capacities during his twenty seven years at the University of Arizona, including Director of the Office of Community and Public Service, Assistant to the President, Senior Officer for Community Affairs and Economic Development, and Associate Vice President for Economic Development.

Wright has worked for many years on developing cross-border trade between Arizona and Mexico. He helped to develop a bi-national regional economic development plan for several governors of Arizona and Sonora. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC) and is a member of the Arizona Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance.

Wright has been active in numerous community organizations. He is a past chair of the Southern Arizona Chapter (Tucson) of the American Red Cross and past board member of Information and Referral Service. He also served on the Regional Transportation Authority’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the Wells Fargo Bank Community Advisory Board. He is a member of the DM 50 and honorary commander with the 355th Operation Support Squadron at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

Wright is co-founder of three high technology start-up companies, Arizona Microsystems and Focal Point Microsystems, both of which were sold to the 3M Corporation and Lumoflex, a company based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Our mission

The mission of SALC is to improve greater Tucson and the State of Arizona by bringing together resources and leadership to create action that will enhance the economic climate and quality of life in our communities to attract, retain, and grow high quality, high wage jobs.